Aishiteru Banzai!
by RougeBaron
Summary: Now a committed couple, Yosetsu and Chika must navigate their way through Love Live unforgiving schedules, trickery, deceit, jealousy, mentally-distubed senpai, and ill-used quirks, all the while maintaining their passion alive long-distanced. Mainly Hero Academia - Love Live Sunshine crossover but with reference to many other anime / manga.
1. Chapter 1

**AISHITERU BANZAI**

A Hero Academia – Love Live Sunshine Crossover

by RougeBaron

* * *

 **ACT I**

inspired by true story

 **Chapter 1: Summer Job**

 _ **Class 1-b, UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **July 20**_

The long awaited bell finally filled out the hall of UA High School, and Class 1-b erupted into a cacophony of exited cheers. It was the last day of school before summer break. Most students in Class 1-b already had plans to spend 6 weeks of summer, be it summer job, humanity project, or just plain enjoying the sun at the beach.

Yosetsu Awase cleaned up his books while listening to his classmates chattering about their summer plans. He slung his satchel bag over his shoulder and was getting ready to leave the classroom when one of his classmates Kosei Tsuburaba came to him.

"Awase! What is your plan for summer?" he asked with a wide grin.

"I signed up for a bicycle camp," Yosetsu replied halfheartedly. "The Annual Charity Youth Bicycle Race is coming up. I want to join the race and put myself in a competitive position." He watched Kosei's face gleaming in the afternoon light and he knew his friend had something big to tell him. "How about you?"

"I got myself a job as a security guard for Plasmagica concert in Tokyo!" Kosei drew a flier from his bag. "Plasmagica, Baby! Girls Rock! Whoo hoo!"

"Great, I'm happy for you," Yosetsu politely nodded. "You need to tell me all about it when we return."

"Hey, hey, listen to me," Kosei pulled Yosetsu's shoulder as he tried to leave. "We're talking about Plasmagica, man! It is huge! Fans are coming from all over Japan! They need a lot of guards to cover the area! I'm sure they will accept another security guard. Come with me, man! We get to see Plasmagica concert AND get paid!"

"Thanks, Tsuburaba-san, but I already have a plan," Yosetsu walked away.

"What plan? Riding bicycle all summer?" Kosei chased Yosetsu down. "That doesn't sound like fun. I'm talking about Plasmagica, man!"

"I don't even know what it is!" Yosetsu started to get irritated. He admired Kosei for his competitive nature, but sometimes he could become annoying.

"You don't know Plasmagica? What are you, 12?" Kosei rudely grabbed Yosetsu's shoulder and pulled a folded flyer out of his bag. "It's the biggest girl rock band in the country! Are you telling me you don't know this Goddess of Rock?" He flipped the flyer open, showing a goth girl with navy-blue hair and a blouse with similar color playing a heart-shaped guitar. "Cyan Hijirikawa, Baby! We get to see Miss Hijirikawa live on stage!"

"I don't know her," Yosetsu snorted. "Sorry, I'm not interested."

"Then do it for your friend," Kosei kept nagging him. "I need a wingman. A good wingman like you."

"Wingman?" Yosetsu stopped and looked at Kosei in the earnest. "Wingman for what?"

Kosei held the flyer in front of Yosetsu's face. "Cyan Hijirikawa, Baby!"

Then suddenly it was clear to him what his friend was planning to do. "Tsuburaba, _saitei dana_! You're gonna give this school a bad name doing this! Not to mention getting hurt! No! I'm not doing it!"

"Come on! Where is your sense of adventure?"

"Get away from me! I'm not doing it!"

Yosetsu briskly walked out of the corridor while Kosei nagged him, trying to convince him to go to Tokyo. But he knew Kosei well. He had a tendency to become a pervert, and although not as bad as Minoru Mineta from Class 1-a, it could potentially land him in jail, especially when involving a national celebrity like Cyan Hijirikawa. Supporting his quest was the worst idea ever.

Yosetsu rushed to the gym to meet the bicycle camp counselor, but he was stopped dead on his track by a piece of paper hanging on the gym door: BICYCLE CAMP CANCELLED.

" _Chikuso!_ Cancelled?" Yosetsu grimaced. He asked several other students who also signed up for the camp, but nobody seemed to have any idea what was going on.

"Trouble, Awase?" Kosei arrived and shot a derogatory comment. "Some people are not dependable."

"Why so sudden?" Yosetsu drew his phone and called the counselor. "Sensei? Sensei? This is Awase, Yosetsu, from class…. _Shinjimae!_ He's not picking up his phone!"

Kosei waited patiently as Yosetsu called a few numbers frantically. He observed the diminishing crowd until Yosetsu leaned on the wall, groaning in defeat. "Well, then, do you have a backup plan for the summer?"

"No…" Yosetsu massaged his temple in frustration.

"I got one, you know…"

"Tsuburaba, I'm not going to Tokyo with you…"

"Why are you so against making money?"

"You're not going to make money! You're going to use your position to get to Miss Hijirikawa…"

"Awase-san, how little do you think of me?" Kosei coined outburst. "I have a solid plan for the summer and you, Mr. Dignity that doesn't have anything for the summer, dare to insult my plan?"

"Are you saying you're going to work and nothing else?" Yosetsu started to warm up to the idea.

"Here's what we're going to do, _boku no tomodachi_ ," Kosei wrapped his arm on Yosetsu's shoulder. "We are going to Tokyo, and we are going to protect Miss Hijirikawa from perverted fans, like a couple of samurais defending the Lady of The Lake from zombies. When all the fiends are gone, we will demand a substantial payment, or we'll request an audience with the lady."

"I'm not going to be your wingman!" Yosetsu grumbled.

"Alright, forget about wingman. We'll do it like a couple of samurais. Come to Tokyo, do our job, get paid, then return to Musutafu a few thousand yen richer. And enjoy the music. You gotta enjoy the music. But when the opportunity presents itself, we're gonna pounce. What do you say?"

When Yosetsu didn't have anything else, any plan sounded good.

"Alright, fine, I'll go with you," Yosetsu finally relented.

" _Yooshi!_ " Kosei threw his fist into the air. "Start packing! We're going to Tokyo in a week!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** Do you know that in every Indiana Jones movie there is a reference to Star Wars? I'm gonna make it that way.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Opening Act**

 _ **Uranohoshi Girl High School,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **July 20**_

Chika Takami twirled the braid behind her ear on her finger as she looked at the flyer. It contained the information about the concert of the rock band Plasmagica at Tokyo. The date was July 31, a day before her birthday. But she hardly noticed it since there was a bigger problem to concern about.

It was the last day of school before summer break, and after Aqours abysmal performance at school idol competition a few months back, the 9 girls had prepared a rigorous training regimen starting the next week. Kanan Matsuura, the choreographer and the physical rep of the group, had devised unique training for each member, so when they returned to school, they would be at the same physical condition.

Unfortunately, distraction arrived.

"The Saint Snow was originally scheduled to open for the Plasmagica," Kanan, a tall and muscular girl, explained. "However for some reason they withdrew their involvement in the concert with less than 2 months. With everybody busy around the summer, the concert committee announced open participation for any group that wants to be the opening act for Plasmagica. First come first serve basis."

"Why do we want to do this?" Dia Kurosawa chimed. "What about your program, Kanan?"

"We can continue my program during the concert," Kanan argued. "But if we stay at Uranohoshi, we're just singing to a wall. If we take this gig, we'll be singing to a live audience. People that can cheer for us, or boo us to oblivion. We'll learn how to perform in public."

"Harsh public, if I may add," Riko Sakurauchi joined in, seemingly taking Kanan's side.

"Oh no! Harsh boys!" Ruby Kurosawa buried her face in her palm. Her androphobia got the best of her.

"It's not only boys," Hanamaru tuned in. "Girls can be harsh too."

"My point is this: we know why we performed badly a few months ago," Kanan said. "We were not ready. We choked up in front of public. We were afraid of criticism. We were afraid of people saying bad things in front of us. Added the fact that we were not ready physically, we were destined to fail. Gig like this will help us develop mental toughness. We will get booed. People will say bad things. But you know what? We keep on going. Gig like this will help us perform at competitions. Not to mention we will get paid."

"I don't know, Kanan-chan, I don't feel comfortable doing it," Chika put forward her thought. "First of all, Plasmagica is a rock band. We are a pop group. People that come to the concert expect to listen to rock music. Wouldn't they be disappointed in us? Secondly, rock fans are often violent…"

"That is prejudice, Chika-chan," Mari Ohara the blonde 3rd grader interjected. "Not all rock enthusiasts behave badly. I listen to industrial metal. I am not violent."

"If we have to perform in public, why don't we choose a venue that is more befitting our image as a school idol?" Chika rummaged a stack of paper on the table. "Like this one: Science Bowl at Ridge View Lodge."

"Science?! Eeeewwwwwwww!" Yoshiko Tsushima, who went by Yohane, contorted her face.

"Nerds and dorks," Dia added. "I bet they run through questionnaire before asking somebody out."

"I can understand Chika's concern about this," You Watanabe, who was silent from the beginning, decided to speak up. "Like it or not, rock groupies are identical to drugs, violence, and sex. If we take this gig, we may have to deal with people like that."

"Again, that's prejudice," Mari stood up to defend the music genre she loved. "There are as many violent groupies of pop, reggae, and country as they are of rock and metal. Plus, the Plasmagica is an all-girl rock band with clean lifestyle. Most of the time the groupie's lifestyle is a reflection of the band itself."

"Guys, guys, we are digressing," Chika said. She was hesitant to follow Kanan's idea, although she could see her logic. "I think it is too far from our comfort zone to be beneficial."

"I respect your anxiety, Chika," Kanan replied calmly. Her self-control steadied Chika's nerves. "But calling it non beneficial is too harsh. We will get paid, don't forget that. Let's say everything you say is correct. We have to deal with bad groupies. We don't learn anything. The entire trip is a waste of time. Still, we come home richer. If we stay at Uranohoshi we are warm and comfortable but we don't get money."

" _Yosoro!_ We surely can use that money for costume," You, the costume coordinator, added.

"I don't know," Chika looked outside the window. Many students walked out of the school for the summer break. Most of them had summer jobs, and a few who didn't usually dedicated their time for humanitarian effort. Chika liked the idea of Aqours doing gigs for money. It was doing it as an opening act for a rock band that didn't sit well with her vision. There were many horror stories about rock lifestyle that made her uncomfortable. "What if we get hurt? Then all those money will go to waste, plus we can't perform."

"There should be security guards that separate us from crazy fans," Riko tried to calm her. "We're not alone."

"Guys, I don't mean to rush to decision, but let's see how many are comfortable with the idea and how many are not," Yohane suggested. "Who are OK with this?"

Kanan, Dia, Mari, and Riko raised their hands.

"And who are not?" Chika said as she raised her hand. To her dismay, only Ruby took her side, although her stand was affected only by her androphobia and had nothing to do with Aqours. You, Hanamaru, and Yohane didn't make up their minds.

"Are you guys sure?" Chika leaned on a table, drawing a long, laborious breath.

"I'd say we do it," Dia replied. "It's only a week's worth of work anyway."

"Well then," Chika gave up. "Let's do this. I'll call the concert manager. Come on, let's bring it in. Sunshine on three. One! Two! Sun…"

"Shine!" all members of Aqours chimed in.

As the Aqours dispersed, You Watanabe approached Chika. "Chika-chan, I know you're disappointed," she said with heavy tone. "And I should have back you up. It's just... I just think that it is good for Aqours to get out and get live performance. Our purpose is to shine, and if we stay here during the summer, we don't get experience we need for the competition. Please don't get mad, I just want the best for Aqours."

Chika couldn't stand watching her best friend almost broke down in tears. "That is OK, You-chan. I understand. I hope I am wrong with all my worries. Let's hope for the best."


	3. Chapter 3

**Review Corner :**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I don't have a format for switching point of views. I'm just trying to get Yosetsu and Chika the same amount of screen time. I don't know, I just go with the flow of the story. And I haven't seen Zombieland Saga. I will watch the show to understand it better before I can make reference.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Pheromones**

 ** _Yoyogi Park,  
Shibuya, Tokyo,  
July 28_**

The trip from Musutafu to Tokyo was not bad. The bus departed at 8 in the morning, just when the sun started to light up the countryside. The scenery was not special, but the morning sun made it especially nice. The only bad thing about the trip was Kosei Tsuburaba's nonstop babbling about Cyan Hijirikawa, the guitarist of the rock band Plasmagica. He knew every single song and every single milestone in her life and he enthusiastically shared all the facts with Yosetsu, whether he liked it or not.

The situation turned to the worst when the bus entered Tokyo Prefecture. It was raining hard. And Kosei's babbling deteriorated from shelling out facts about Cyan Hijirikawa's achievements to her body measurements, almost like he was her personal physician. If Yosetsu didn't know Kosei better, he would've thought his friend was actually planning a sexual assault.

Then it was the infamous Tokyo traffic jam. The bus literally crawled through the highways, swamped by cars. The rain intensified to the point Yosetsu couldn't see anything past 2 cars in front of him. He tried his phone to see what was holding up the traffic but reception was poor due to rain. It was so depressing even Kosei stopped talking and switched to his phone to combat boredom.

After more than 1 hour sitting in the traffic, the bus finally made it to Shibuya. Yosetsu and Kosei had to walk several blocks to Yoyogi Park, the site of the concert. But the rain didn't let up. The streets were flooded and there were always inconsiderate assholes speeding through puddles, spraying water to pedestrians. Yosetsu and Kosei took turns yelling at cars.

When they arrived at Yoyogi Park, Yosetsu was wet, mad, and miserable. His shoes were drenched. His duffle bag got sprayed by cars several times he didn't think he had dry clothes anymore. And the rain seemed to enjoy his agony. Kosei, on the other hand, quickly turned bubbly when they arrived at the stage. There was little chance the Plasmagica would come to the stage in such bad weather, but just looking at the place where they would perform gave his mood a jump start.

"Sir! Sir! I need to talk to the security manager!" Kosei rushed to a man wearing a badge.

"That's me! What do you want?" the man curtly replied.

"Sir, I am Tsuburaba, Kosei, from Musutafu, we talked on the phone. I'm here for the security job."

"Oh, yes, Tsuburaba," the man flipped a soaked notepad. "Yes, I need security guard on the changing area backstage. Come with me, I'll show you the way."

Kosei's eyes lit up as he grabbed Yosetsu's shoulder. "Did you hear that? I'm going to the changing area! I'm going to guard Cyan Hijirikawa's changing room! Holy Shit this is a dream come true, man! Maybe she would leave one piece of her fabric, signed and sealed with a kiss!"

"Tsuburaba, you're delusional," Yosetsu slapped Kosei's arms. "Did you tell him about me? I'm here for the job too."

"Oh, yes, alright," Kosei went back to the guy. "Sir, I bring a friend. He's here for security job too."

"What's your name?" the man asked Yosetsu.

"Awase, Yosetsu."

The man flipped his notepad around. "I don't see your name."

"I haven't called, but my friend said you needed a lot of security guards for the concert."

"Yes, for the concert, not now!" the man blurted. "What do you want to guard now? There's nobody here!"

Yosetsu shot a nasty stare at Kosei. " _Bakayaro!_ You bring me here for nothing?!"

"There should be something he can do, Sir?" Kosei asked. "Like, maybe, ticketing, or food?"

"It's three days to concert, dumbass! All positions are filled!" the man violently flipped his notepad around. "Why don't you just stay here? Watch for… uhm, _unsecure_ things, and report them to me."

" _Unsecure_ things, Sir?" Yosetsu cocked his brows. "Like what, Sir?"

"Anything! You're the security guard! Figure it out yourself!" the man left him instead. He pointed at Kosei. "Let's go! What are you waiting for?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Kosei grabbed Yosetsu's arms again. "I didn't know it was going to be like this. They said they needed many security guards for the concert. I guess I didn't read it… carefully. But look at the bright side, Awase. When this is all done, we will go back to Musutafu with a handful of cash. Please, just hang in there…" He turned around and screamed from the top of his lung, "Cyan-chan! I'm coming!"

"Tsuburaba I'm gonna kill you!" Yosetsu kicked the metal chair next to him in utter frustration. He could have figured out half a dozen things to do for the summer break if it wasn't for Kosei. He could probably get a part time job, or internship, at Hatsume's Family Bike Shop. He could find a morning job at the bakery next to it. Or at the very least he could volunteer to clean up Bad Dog Park, no matter how undignified it might sound. But no, he had to be stranded at Yoyogi Park, 2 hours away from home, in torrential rain, working a bogus job in wet shoes.

As he calmed down, he started paying attention to his surroundings. A few girls were singing and dancing on stage, and nobody paid attention to them. The stage was fortified with tarp and asbestos plates, but he could clearly see a leak on the ceiling. Luckily the sound and lighting systems were not installed yet.

Yosetsu wasn't fond of their music but he was drawn to their dancing, particularly that of a slender girl with shoulder-length orange hair. She wasn't the best dancer, she wasn't the best looking girl, and she definitely wasn't the best singer, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He didn't know what it was. Something in her radiated 'pheromones' that locked his senses on her. He felt like he was obsessed about her already.

So Yosetsu let himself immersed in his newfound 'obsession' as the girls kept moving and dancing in fancy choreography, all the while singing some upbeat tunes that made him forget about the rain:

 _Kimi no kokoro wa kagayaiteru kai?  
_ _Mune ni kiitara "_ YES! _" to kotaeru sa  
_ _Kono deai ga minna o kaeru kana  
_ _Kyou mo taiyou wa terashiteru bokura no yume  
_ _Oh Yes, Doki-Doki Sunshine!  
_ _Oh Yes, Doki-Doki Sunshine!_

And then, everything came to a screeching halt when one of the girls slipped and landed on her butt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** The impatient guy writing actually comes from watching a lot of _shonen_ anime, particularly _Patlabor_. In western culture that would be considered very rude, but somehow _shonen_ characters like to yell at each other and they are OK with it.

The Japanese text did come from one of their songs. I don't watch Love Live anime but I listen to their songs a lot. So my rendition of the girls may contain error, but hey, they are not supposed to hang out with the guys from UA High School anyway, so _pffffttt_.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Contact**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 28**_

The rain also created problems for Aqours. The stage was not properly set up. The pattering sound on the asbestos roof drowned everything. It was hard to listen to each other. There was a leak on the ceiling that made the floor wet. Dancing become precarious as stepping on a puddle could result in loss of balance. Early in the rehearsal Ruby almost twisted her ankle. Five minutes later Mari crashed onto Hanamaru. To avoid injuries, the girls made a last minute adjustment on their dance moves, yet nobody was happy with the compromise.

But the thing that pissed Chika off was the ignorance of the organizers. Nobody was around to provide assistance, and the few people wearing badges around the stage were too busy to notice that Aqours was suffering from the rain. They just walked back and forth checking trivial things without even looking at the stage.

And now, You Watanabe fell and appeared hurt.

" _Do shiyo_!" Chika immediately broke formation and rushed to help You. "Are you alright?"

"Ouch! _Itai! Itai!_ " You winced as she clenched her butt. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"That's a hard fall," Dia came forward and gently lifted You's arm. "Take a break! We'll help you."

As the other members of Aqours assisted You, Chika approached Kanan. "We shouldn't be here. The state condition is too dangerous for us to continue. The organizers don't seem to care about safety. I'm really scared about our show, Kanan-chan."

Kanan took a deep breath. "You're right. Unfortunately we're too close to the concert. If we cancel our involvement, our reputation will be damaged. Let's talk to the organizers. If we can't get improvement, we may have to have a long conversation about our performance."

Chika looked around to see somebody that might point her to the right direction. Two guys wearing badges were standing near the stage. She jumped off the stage and approached the men. "Excuse me, can you help us with the stage? We need to practice for the concert but the stage is wet. Can you send somebody to fix the leak and dry up the floor?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry, we don't work on the stage," the two guys avoided the conversation. "We're from accommodation section. Maybe guys from performance section can help you." They left, and Chika could only hang her head low in frustration.

Across the field Yosetsu caught the conversation. He had been watching the rehearsal for a while, so he knew they were in dire need of assistance. He paused for a while, debating whether he should jump in or let the organizers take care of the problem. He was a security guard. Leaking stage was not his responsibility. But when he saw Chika walking back to the stage with her head buried on her chest, his heart bled. He just had to help her.

"Uh, Ma'am, excuse me," Yosetsu called. "I can help."

Chika turned around and gave Yosetsu a doubtful look. "Uhm, who are you?"

"I'm a security guard. I work for the concert."

"Where's your badge?"

"This is my first day of work. They haven't given me one yet," Yosetsu felt bad to have to lie to the girl he had a massive crush on, but it was the only way she would let him help her. Or so he thought. "If I have my badge tomorrow I'll show it to you, if it makes you feel better."

Chika stood dumbfounded, deciding whether she would trust him or not. He did not look like somebody that worked at the site. He was wearing a t-shirt and a wet pair of jeans, while most people affiliated with the concert wore buttoned-down shirt and black pants. And that headband, nobody wore headband to work. For all she cared, he could be a criminal waiting to strike.

But there was strong sincerity in his eyes that Chika couldn't overlook. She knew he told the truth. She didn't know how, she just did. And the fact that he was the only one that offered help made her think that this might be the break that Aqours needed. She decided to take a plunge.

"We need somebody to dry up the stage," she said then rushed to regroup with her friends. If the guy had a bad intention, she had better be with her friends. None of them knew self-defense, but at least their overwhelming number would deter the bad guy. "See, the ceiling is leaking. I don't know if you can actually fix it, but at least we need something to make the floor dry so we can practice dancing."

Yosetsu knew he had to fix the ceiling before he could attempt to clean up the floor. But that would need him to replace the cracking panel. Where could he find a spare panel? This place was a jungle to him. The only other possibility was to seal the crack. And when he inadvertently laid eyes on the metal chair he kicked a few minutes ago, he thought of something that might work.

"I have an idea," he said and rushed to the chair. The chair was metal but the splat was plastic. He removed the splat then took it on stage. He went to the back to find a ladder that was tall enough to reach the ceiling, then climbed it until he reached the crack. Taking a secure position, he activated his Quirk, touched the asbestos panel with his left hand, then held the plastic splat with his right, and fused the two together.

The leak immediately stopped.

" _Shinjirarenai!_ How did he do that?" Riko blurted.

"Wow," Kanan tuned in. "He's handy. Maybe we should call him 'Handy Manny'."

" _Domo arigato_ ," Chika said as Yosetsu climbed down the ladder. "It is nice to have somebody that is willing to help."

"Just doing my job, Ma'am," Yosetsu replied, trying hard to sound as professional as possible. "Now we need to dry up the floor." He looked around for a mop, but he couldn't find one. So he just took off his headband and used it as a mop. He wiped the floor over and over until it was mostly dry.

" _Kimoiiii!_ You use your own bandana?" Mari cringed. "It's just…. Eeewwww!"

"Oh, I have spares," Yosetsu grinned. "I'll just throw this one away." He turned to You Watanabe, who was still sitting. "Do you need medical assistance?"

"No, no, it's fine," she quickly stood up. "Just a minor bruise, but I'm OK."

"Are you really a security guard?" Chika looked at him, curiously, but delightfully.

"Yes, my name is Awase, Yosetsu. I am new. I will go back to my station. If you need any other assistance, let me know."

"Well, Awase-san, I'm Takami, Chika. This is Kanan, Dia, Mari, Ruby who is Dia's sister, Hanamaru or Zura as we like to call her, Yoshiko or Yohane as she likes to be called, Riko, and You who just fell down. We are Aqours. We'll open for Plasmagica on the weekend show."

"Nice to meet you, Aqours. Good luck on your show," Yosetsu turned around and walked off the stage.

Chika returned to her routine but somehow she turned around and watched Yosetsu walking away from the stage. She felt the tightness in her stomach; she was the one who kept the team together, and now she felt like she was wandering off. But she couldn't help it. She just had to turn around and look at the young man.

"Chika-chan! Chika-chan!" Hanamaru and Riko grabbed her arms and shook her. " _Doshitano?!_ Chika-chan, you look possessed!"

"No, no, I'm fine!" Chika regained composure. "Alright, the floor is clean. No more interruptions. Aozora Jumping Heart, from the top!" And yet, when her friends moved to take positions, she turned around again toward Yosetsu's direction. And she didn't know why. She just had to do it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Review Corner**

 **SulliMike:** It is indeed. Haven't heard from you for a while. Which show are you a fan of, Hero Academia or Love Live Sunshine? Or both?

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Ice Cream**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 29**_

Kosei Tsuburaba never showed up again that day. Yosetsu tried calling, sending messages, leaving voicemails and emails, but Kosei seemed to disappear in the middle of Tokyo. So Yosetsu found himself a small inn a few blocks from Yoyogi Park to sleep and dry his clothes.

The next day Kosei still didn't make contact so Yosetsu returned to Yoyogi Park to see if he could do something. But like the day before, nobody paid attention to him. He couldn't even find the security manager. People started putting up lighting and sound system on the stage. The ceiling had been covered with various lights and cables while massive speakers were being hauled from trucks and stacked at the stage.

Since the stage was being prepped up, Aqours was not there. But to his surprise, Chika was, and she quickly approached him when she saw him.

" _Ohayo!_ " she said cheerfully. "I was hoping I could see you here."

"You were?" Yosetsu didn't expect that the girl he had a crush on was actually waiting for him. "Is there something you need?"

"Well, I feel bad that you have to lose your bandana for Aqours, so I bought you a new one." Chika handed in a new piece of cloth, still wrapped in plastic. "I tried to find something that may look good, but if this is not of your style, then I'm sorry."

" _Kusottare!_ Sonofabitch, this is unbelievable!" Yosetsu was so surprised he ended up cursing. He realized he might have made Chika uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those tings. I meant to say it is very thoughtful of you."

"So, you accept?" Chika smiled brightly.

"Hell yeah I do… I mean, of course I do. I'm sorry, it's a bad habit," he said awkwardly while removing his headband. He put on Chika's bandana on his head. "This feels good! _Arigato gozaimasu!_ "

"My BFF You Watanabe is the wardrobe supervisor of Aqours," Chika couldn't hide her cringe once Yosetsu put on the bandana. She obviously didn't like it on him. "I should've asked her opinion. Let me take it back and I'll give you…"

"No!" Yosetsu flinched. "I'm not taking it off! Thank you for your concern, but I will wear it."

"I didn't expect you like it so much," Chika said, smiling. "Well, I really appreciate you helping us out."

"It's my job, Takami-san," Yosetsu replied. "So, are you done with your rehearsal?"

"We're off today, obviously, since the stage is getting prepped up," Chika said. "We rehearsed our singing in the morning. When the sound system is up tomorrow, we'll rehearse live on stage. But yeah, today is free."

Yosetsu saw an opportunity. "You know, I haven't had anything since yesterday. I want to grab something to eat, and I could use your company, if that is OK with you."

"Are you not supposed to work?" Chika frowned.

"The security manager said he didn't have anything for me until the concert, and I can't find him today. I was hoping I could help Aqours like yesterday, but since you guys are off, I'm out of work."

Chika grinned. "Alright, I may get something cold. Looks like it's going to be a hot summer day today."

"Better than rain," Yosetsu looked at the blue sky. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"There is an ice cream parlor two blocks from here. It's good, but not exactly a breakfast type of…"

"No, no, no, ice cream is good," Yosetsu couldn't believe how ridiculous he looked, getting ice cream for breakfast, but he didn't care. He wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"Are you sure?" Chika smiled awkwardly.

"Yes, I eat ice cream for breakfast all the time. You lead, I follow."

The two of them walked out of Yoyogi Park and arrived at the ice cream parlor within 10 minutes. They ordered their ice cream and then sat down under the umbrella, enjoying the morning breeze.

"So, Awase-san, where are you from?" Chika struck a conversation as she played with her ice cream.

"I'm from Musutafu, about 2 hours from Tokyo. I am a first year student at UA High School."

"Oh, you're a Pro Hero!" Chika said with a little bit of relief in her voice. "That explains a lot of things."

"I'm training to be one. I'm not exactly 'Pro' yet until I have my Provisional Hero License."

"You need to have a license? That is cool." Then she remembered something. "What you did yesterday… sealing the crack on the ceiling… is it your specialty?"

"Yes, it is my Quirk," Yosetsu replied. "I combine things. It's not an aggressive Quirk like Adamantium claws or super speed or Kamehameha, but it is handy in a situation like yesterday."

"I think it's adorable," Chika replied. "Superpower doesn't have to be destructive. It doesn't have to be used to combat criminals. As long as it is used to help others in need, any superpower is good."

"Sure, yes," he chuckled. He puffed up his chest, took a pretentious stance, and spoke in low and hoarse voice, mimicking Batman, "Give it up, evildoers, or I'll fuse you with this lamp post!"

Chika laughed heartily until she choked herself. "I almost got ice cream in my nose because of you!"

"I'm sorry," Yosetsu sat back down. "Anyway, we're on summer break, and I am trying to find a summer job. My classmate actually brought me here to work as security guard, but I don't start until July 31. But enough about me. How about you? Where do you come from? How did you get involved in this idol business?"

"I'm from Numazu, Shizuoka. I'm a second-year student at Uranohoshi Girl School at Numazu. I was a big fan of Muse, the winner of Love Live idol contest from Otonokizaka. I was inspired by their radiance, that ordinary students like them can shine so bright if they lose themselves and fully focus on it. I want to be like those girls, so I started Aqours. Kanan, Dia, and Mari actually founded Aqours a few years back, but it is abandoned because of injuries. I just picked up where they left and resurrected Aqours with new members."

"Necromancy," Yosetsu blurted.

"Ha ha ha, very funny," Chika laughed sarcastically. "Anyway, we were invited to idol competition a few months back but we didn't do well. We finished last. That's the motivation to do this show. We want to expose ourselves to audience so we are not nervous or scared when we go to another idol competition. You know what people say, practice make perfect."

"That is a good intention," Yosetsu said approvingly. "I hope you get what you're looking for."

"Thank you, same to you," Chika replied.

They kept talking back and forth, telling stories about themselves, until they realized that their ice cream was long gone and the sun was high up in the sky. It was almost noon, and they had been talking for more than 2 hours.

"Well, Awase-san, thank you for taking me," Chika said with a slight bow. "It's been a really nice morning. I need it to refresh myself before the concert."

"Thank you for coming with me," Yosetsu returned her pleasantry. "I can't believe it's almost time for lunch."

"Yeah, and with just ice cream all morning, you should be hungry already," Chika added.

"Are you up for lunch?" Yosetsu tried out his luck.

"I promised my friends to have lunch together at the hotel," Chika replied. "But thanks for the invitation. My hotel is this way."

"Very well," Yosetsu said with a bow. "I'll go back to the stage and see if I can do something in the afternoon. I look forward to meeting you again someday. Do you want me to walk you to your hotel?"

"No thanks, I'm fine. It's not that far. _Ja ne_ , Awase-san!"

" _Ja ne_!" Yosetsu gave a smile and a wave. He turned around and started wondering if everything was a dream. He just spent more than 2 hours in a great conversation with the most magnificent girl he had ever met. _Momo Yaoyorozu's birthday is coming up_ , he thought. _If I got invited, I may take Chika as my 'plus one'. It should've been fun to play truth or dare with her. Or better yet: Spin The Bottle!_

Just when he thought it was the best day of his life, Chika called him. "Uh, Awase-san?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Aqours will practice live in the morning. After that I want to go to Kasai Kaihin."

Yosetsu couldn't believe his ears. "The beach?! You wanna go to the beach with me?"

"I could use your company, if it is OK by you."

"Holy Sh… I mean, yes, I will go with you."

Chika flashed a smile. "Same place, same time tomorrow?"

"Yes. I will wait on the stage until you finish."

" _Ja ne_ , Awase-san! See you tomorrow!"

If today was the best day of his life, tomorrow would be better.


	6. Chapter 6

**Review Corner**

 **SulliMike** : I hope you enjoy what you see here.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Beach**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 30**_

The technical rehearsal for Aqours was scheduled in the morning while the afternoon slot was reserved for Plasmagica, as a device for more publicity. It worked out great because there were not a lot of people hanging out around the stage in the morning. Little missteps and last minute adjustments were not meant for public. The only problem was that some of the Aqours were not morning persons. But it was easily fixed with a glass of water.

But for some reason Chika had trouble focusing on their routines. When it came to Aqours, she was close to being one-dimensional: she would put Aqours above anything and everything. So it annoyed her to no end that in the advent of Aqours first performance as a professional idol group, all she could think of was the beach. Why the beach, of all things? Her home was by the beach. She shouldn't be distracted by a beach.

Perhaps it was not the beach in the first place.

For an hour Chika summoned all energy she could muster to go through all songs without incident, then left the stage before her friends notice her. She ran backstage and waited until her friends dispersed in the crowd, then walked outside to find Yosetsu. Her heart skipped a beat, watching the young man talking to Riko and You. Her stomach churned as her friends giggled and traded pleasantries with him, and from her point of view he seemed like he enjoyed their company. And for some unreasonable logic, she didn't like what she saw.

After a brief encounter Riko and You left, and Chika dashed toward him, unwilling to waste his attention on any other girl. " _Ohayo_ , Awase-san," she blurted cheerfully. "I see you talked to my friends Riko and You. What were you talking about?"

"You did?" Yosetsu scratched his head. "We just crossed path and I asked for you. They said you disappeared right after rehearsal. I suspected you needed a bathroom break."

"Uhm, yes… yes, that's what I did," Chika smiled awkwardly. "Is that all you talked about? You didn't talk about anything else?"

"No," Yosetsu cocked his eyebrow.

"You didn't tell them about the beach, or invite them to go to the beach, did you?"

"What? No! No, why would I do that?" Yosetsu was taken completely by surprise. "Not without your permission. Do you want them to come?"

Chika didn't know why she acted that way. It was completely compulsive, as if something had taken control of her brain. On any other day she would detest such behavior. But that day she had to know where Yosetsu's true commitment lied. Those questions had to be asked before she moved forward with her plan.

"No, I don't want them to come with us," she said in a breath of relief.

"That's good, because I'll be outnumbered," Yosetsu tried to lighten the mood. He was confused by Chika's sudden change in behavior. "I don't like being overwhelmed."

"Then let's go to the beach!" Chika returned to her bubbly self and pulled Yosetsu's shirt. Unlike the previous 2 days, Yosetsu wore a white t-shirt doubled with a flannel shirt that he left unbuttoned, a pair of baggy shorts and sneakers without socks in anticipation of getting wet. Chika was prepared herself, wearing a tight colorful t-shirt and a miniskirt, with a pair of matching ankle-strap sandals.

They hopped on a bus and continued where they left off the day before. Chika did most of the talking, telling him about her desire to shine like her idols, The Muse, by winning Love Live competition. She told him the troubled he had to go through to get approved by the school to start an idol group, and now that everything was laid out perfectly, her school was on the verge of getting shut down. She also told him about her family, her sisters, and her ocean-view home back at Numazu. Yosetsu was mostly quiet but once in a while he made lighthearted jokes that kept the conversation lively.

The bus arrived at the station and they continued on foot for 5 minutes until they arrived at the beach. There were not many people at the beach. Chika quickly removed her sandals and ran toward the water until a sign stopped her dead on her track: NO SWIMMING.

"Aw, bummer," she pouted. "No swimming today."

"The water looks fine to me," Yosetsu replied, clearly disappointed. "Shame, such nice water will be wasted. But maybe it's for the best. You are performing tomorrow. We don't want you to get attacked by sharks."

Chika sniggered and playfully slapped Yosetsu's arm. "There's no shark at Tokyo Bay!"

"Who knows?" Yosetsu grinned from ear to ear. "But I guess we can still walk in the water. We've come this far. Let's make the most of it. What do you say?"

"Sure, but you have to take off your shoes," Chika said as she dipped her feet in the water, ankle-deep. The cool water felt refreshing on her bare feet.

"Alright," Yosetsu kicked off his shoes, but before he finished Chika kicked the water, splashing salt water onto his face. "Hey! Damn you!"

"Ha ha! Slowpoke!" she kicked the water again then ran to the other direction. Chika was proud of her training regimen. She kept herself in shape by running a lot, including on the beach. The sand provided a lot of resistance. So it was not hard to put a gap between her and Yosetsu initially. But Yosetsu managed to keep up, and eventually, ran Chika down until he was within an arm's length from her.

Just when he was about to catch up with her, they passed two gorgeous girls, one with dark hair spiky ponytail, the other one with lose red hair. Yosetsu suddenly stopped. "Yaoyorozu?"

"Awase! How unexpected?" the girl with dark hair replied. "What are you doing here in Tokyo? Are you going to see Plasmagica too?"

"I am actually working as a security guard for the concert," Yosetsu said. "Kosei Tsuburaba brought me here, but he's been missing since. I'm not surprised if he had joined Plasmagica groupie."

"This doesn't look like working," the girl smiled wolfishly. "I see you're bringing a friend."

"This is Takami, Chika," Yosetsu made a hand gesture to get Chika to come. "She is the frontrunner of Aquors, the idol group that opens for Plasmagica. Takami-san, this is Momo Yaoyorozu, a friend from UA High School. We work together on the Forest Training Camp a few weeks ago."

" _Hajimemashite_ ," Chika gave Momo a quick bow. "Are you good friend with Awase-san?"

"More like good acquaintance," Momo said halfheartedly. "Our group was attacked by the Vanguard Action Squad. I was injured, and if it wasn't for Awase, I would've been dead. He carried me all the way to safety. I owe him my life. Someday I'm gonna make it up to him."

For some reason Momo's comment made Chika uneasy. Momo was a tall and well-developed Pro Hero, a perfect match for Yosetsu. The image of Yosetsu carrying Momo in a 'suggestive' manner danced in her head. And then there was this particular scene where Momo 'made it up to Yosetsu' that made her head spinning.

"So… good acquaintance?" she involuntarily spoke. "In what nature, actually, you are speaking of?"

"Oh, no, I'm not going to take him away from you," Momo replied bluntly.

Chika's face turned from light pink to blood red, as if a major artery ruptured in her cheek.

"Yaoyorozu! No!" Yosetsu waved his hands in front of Momo in panic, watching Chika's reaction. "We just met 2 days ago."

"Oh, I see," Momo said sheepishly. She turned to Chika, "Excuse my bluntness. I'm just making sure that Awase and I are in purely professional relationship. I'm not even into boys." She waved at the red-haired girl who was standing a few feet away. "Pyrrha-chan, come meet my friends."

The red-haired girl came and extended her hands for a handshake. "Pyrrha Nikos, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Nikos," Yosetsu greeted her using Western custom, aware that she might not be familiar to Japanese culture. "I am Yosetsu Awase, this is Chika Takami from Aqours. She will open for Plasmagica tomorrow."

" _Hajimemashite_ ," Chika didn't bother with Western custom.

"Pyrrha is my good friend from Beacon Academy," Momo explained as she hooked her arm around Pyrrha's waist. "She's visiting Japan for two weeks. We went shopping at Shinjuku, that's a lot of fun. Today's our 'R-n-R' at the beach before hitting the concert tomorrow."

"I watched your PV on Youtube," Pyrrha said to Chika. "You guys have some fancy choreography and killer music. I can't wait to see you live tomorrow."

"I can't wait to sing and dance," Chika chimed. "It's gonna be a great show!"

"Well, then, I'll leave you guys alone," Pyrrha gave a courtesy nod. "And Yosetsu… good job on taking care of Momo. My visit to Japan wouldn't be as _pleasurable_ without your stunt."

Momo playfully shoved Pyrrha's shoulder, but quickly joined her walking away from Yosetsu and Chika.

"Holy crap, I wouldn't have guessed that Momo…" Yosetsu said under his breath.

"What?" Chika grinned awkwardly. "Had a girlfriend?"

"She's a popular girl back at UA. She's gonna break a lot of hearts. Tenya Iida, Shoto Todoroki, and that little dude from Class 1-A… I can't remember his name…"

"Sounds like '90210'," Chika said. "Anyway, I'm thirsty. Can we get something cold?"

"I thought we passed an ice cream parlor on our way here," Yosetsu stated. "Do you want to check it out?"

"Sure," Chika said sheepishly. "Nobody says no to ice cream."

They walked back to where they left their shoes then proceeded to some eateries by the sea shore. Not surprisingly, Momo and Pyrrha were there too.

"Hey, long time no see!" Pyrrha quipped. "Hungry after your morning run?"

"Just ice cream for now, but maybe we consider having lunch here," Yosetsu replied.

"Come sit with us, we have a lot to talk about," Momo suggested. "The more the merrier."

Next time they looked at the time, it was way past noon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Review Corner**

 **The Colonel** : And more to come. Stay tuned!

 **Ulquiorra9000** : This story is based off that one drawing so yes, everybody will appear just like in the drawing.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Vanguard**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 31**_

Concert day. The event was still 5 hours away but rock fans had flocked the park, waiting for their favorite rock stars to take the stage. Even though Plasmagica was known for colorful outfit and happy melody, its fans flooded Yoyogi Park with traditional rock attributes: black t-shirt, long hair, goaties, metallic accessories, smokes, liquors, and loud, profane language.

The scenery freaked Aqours out.

" _Shinjirarenai!_ I did not expect to see this kind of crowd," Kanan blurted. She turned to Mari, "You said not all rock fans were vulgar ruffians like these!"

"Well they're not!" Mari defended her stand about hard rock lifestyle. "The fans are reflections of the band, most of the time! I'm friend with Yui Hirasawa from HTT. She said HTT's fans were great people!"

"Then how do you explain this?" Kanan pointed at a few fans smoking and chugging something from a bottle, presumably liquor. "These guys look like Guns 'N Roses groupies!"

"Perhaps Plasmagica is cursed," Yohane mumbled.

"I'm not comfortable singing for them, _zura_ ," Hanamaru said.

"Me neither," Ruby was quick to back up her friend.

"Well we can't back out now. It's 5 hours to show time. Our reputation will be destroyed if we do not show up," Dia tuned in. "Nobody will take Aqours seriously anymore."

"I'm sure we can find a solution," Chika tried to be positive. "Maybe increased security around the stage?"

"That'll be great, although it won't make it safe," Riko mused. "We should've taken the leaking stage as a bad omen."

"Yeah, this place is cursed," Yohane added involuntarily.

"That is the most plausible course we can take to get out of this situation," Chika replied. "I'll talk to the security manager. Maybe he can increase the number of guards on the stage."

"Do you want me to come with you?" You asked.

"No, no, I'll handle this. Just go back to the hotel, have some rest, and get prepared. I'll fill you in when I come back."

The Aqours walked back toward the hotel while Chika tried to find the security manager. But the stage was extremely hectic and she barely saw guys with buttoned down shirt and black pants anymore. There were a lot of people talking onto their walkie-talkies but nobody was willing to help.

Her next best course was to find Yosetsu.

"You see these people? We are not prepared to perform for them," Chika said as she observed the stampede of rock fans in black attire and long facial hair going past her. "We are not used to crowd like these. I'm afraid they're going to pelt us with profanities on stage, and it may ruin our sync."

"They're paying fans. We can't do anything," Yosetsu shared her concern, but he didn't know exactly what to do. "Isn't it your purpose to perform in public? To get tough on stage?"

"Yeah, but, not to people like these," Chika bit her lips. She didn't want to open for a rock band, but she didn't want to blame everything on her friends who did. "At least let me talk to your supervisor to increase the security personnel around the stage, so the other girls will feel safe."

"Alright," Yosetsu took Chika to walk around the park looking for the security manager, but he was nowhere to be seen. Desperate, they went back stage to a large building that looked like the staging area for the show. Chika saw somebody that she recognized.

"That's the field coordinator for the show," she ran toward the man. "Sir, Sir, excuse me, we're looking for the security manager."

"Security manager? He hasn't shown up for 2 days," the man spat.

" _Nan desuka_?!" Yosetsu and Chika couldn't believe their ears. "Then who's gonna be responsible for the security around the stage during the show?"

"You know what? I don't know, and I don't care anymore!" the man threw his hands up in the air. "This event has been a nut job from day one! We'll run the show with or without security manager!"

"That's insane!" Yosetsu yelled. "We can't run a show without security! Those guys are going to wreak havoc around the stage, and somebody will get hurt!"

"Who the hell are you?" the field coordinator shot a dirty look at Yosetsu.

"My name is Awase, Yosetsu, I was hired as security guard for the show. We feel the need to increase the security personnel around the stage."

"Well it's too late for now," the field coordinator said. He turned to Chika, "Look, just get in there, do your thing, and get out. Nothing's gonna happen. Just don't be late. If you are, the crowd is going to chew your ass."

Chika was so mortified she could only throw a sad look at Yosetsu.

"Sir, what are you going to do with the security?" Yosetsu pleaded.

"At this point: nothing. But like I said, everything will be fine. Just go as scheduled." With that, the field coordinator left and immediately disappeared in the crowd.

" _Hifunkougaisuru_ ," Chika buried her face in her palms. "Performing without security? Ruby and Hana would die of heart attack."

Yosetsu pulled out his phone. "Tsuburaba, where are you? Tsuburaba, we have a situation here… _Kusottare_ , Tsuburaba! Where the hell are you?" He tried to call his friend with no avail. She looked at Chika, felt her pain, then called his last option.

"Yaoyorozu? Awase. I'm in a desperate situation and I need some help."

"What's going on?" Momo replied.

"The show starts in 5 hours but the security manager went AWOL. Aqours have to perform without security guards. I'm the only one left. I can't handle this crowd alone, and I can't find Tsuburaba."

" _Hontoni?!_ I hope they compensate you well."

"Now that the manager is missing, I might not get paid at all," Yosetsu sighed exasperatedly. "But I'm not worried about it. I'm worried about Aqours. You're my last resource, Yaoyorozu-san. Please, I really need your help."

"But I wanna watch Plasmagica…" Momo moaned. "Damn you Awase. Alright, I'll figure something out. Stay there, I'm coming."

Yosetsu turned off his phone. "I asked Yaoyorozu's help. She's really smart; she may have some input. She said she was coming, so let's wait and pray she came up with a way out."

Chika held Yosetsu's hand. "Thank you, really. This means a lot to me. To us."

It took Momo and Pyrrha 5 minutes to arrive at Yoyogi Park. "I sent distress call to everybody at class 1-A. Izuku Midoriya is the only one not leaving for summer job. He is still at Musutafu but he can be here in 3 hours. He'll try to bring Urakara, the girl he's trying to impress, to help us out."

"There is no way Jaune and the rest of JNPR can reach Tokyo in 5 hours," Pyrrha added, "so I'm the only one available from Beacon Academy. I wish we had more time. I could get JNPR and maybe RWBY to help. That's 7 additional heads."

"This is it, Awase. This is all I can get," Momo sighed. "You, me, Pyrrha-chan, Midoriya, and possibly Urakara."

"Five is better than one," Yosetsu let out a long breath. He felt he needed at least 10 personnel to cover the stage and the park. But he couldn't get what he wanted, so he had to make do with what was available. "Takami-san, I'm sorry I don't have better news. But we will do our best to keep you safe. Yayourozu, Midoriya and Urakara are my friends from UA High School. I can vouch for their professionalism. Miss Nikos is a Huntress from Beacon Academy, and while I don't know much about the school, I think she is the kind of person you want by your side."

Chika couldn't hide her disappointment, but she considered herself lucky she had guards at all. "Thank you guys," she said, forcing a smile. "You have no idea how much this means for us. I'll break it down to the others, and hope for the best."


	8. Chapter 8

**Review Corner**

 **The Colonel** : We will see that shortly :) Stay tuned!

 **Ulquiorra9000** : It happens all the time. The fans come to see the main performer(s) so sometimes they harass the opening act.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Declaration of War**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 31**_

The last time Yosetsu was overwhelmed by fear was during the Forest Camp Training, when he was nearly decapitated by the Chainsaw Nomu. He was certain he was finished. All his dreams, all his investment to become a Pro Hero could have ended that night.

This rock fan crowd was not nearly as lethal as the Chainsaw Nomu, but he was just as scared. None of the UA students had training for crowd control, and by looking at Pyrrha Nikos' stance, he knew she didn't know it either. Tenya Iida was the only one that had experience in crowd control. _Why can't Momo get Tenya Iida?_ he thought as he threw a glance at Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Urakara, the couple from Class 1-A that just arrived at Yoyogi Park an hour ago.

"Nervous?" Momo caught his tension.

"Who isn't?" Yosetsu tried to hide his feelings. "None of us had done something like this before." But the truth was he was not just nervous. He was scared. Scared for the lives of his friends that he dragged into this mess, scared for the reputation of UA High School that would plummet if he botched his job, and scared for the safety of the nine J-pop idols that depended on his competence to control the crowd.

 _Nine?_ Or was it just _one?_

"It'll be alright. These rock fans are not really into J-Pop, so hopefully they won't pay too much attention," Ochaco tuned in. "As long as we are not overreacting to their antics, we'll be fine."

"Alright, listen up," Momo's natural leadership kicked in, seeing Yosetsu was too caught up with his anxiety. "It'll be loud when the music starts, so I created earpieces for better communication. Everybody take one," she distributed small intercoms she made using her Quirk. "This crowd can be harsh, but they are paying customers. They are entitled to get what they paid for. Unless they initiate violence, do not get physical with them. We're not allowed to use our Quirks in public, but if worse comes to worst I will make the decision. So watch me. Clear?"

"Clear," Pyrrha replied with a wink as she put on her earpiece.

"Clear," Izuku and Ochaco said almost simultaneously.

"Clear," Yosetsu answered. Momo's methodical leadership calmed him a little bit.

"Alright, Midoriya, Urakara, take the right wing. Pyrrha-chan, you stay with me on the center. Awase, take the left wing. Communicate, nice and easy."

Before everybody went to their designated space, Yosetsu approached Izuku and Ochaco. "Guys, thank you for coming all the way from Musutafu to help me out, even though we don't hang out often."

"Hey, we UA students have to stand up for each other," Ochaco replied. "This is what we are trained for, to help people in need."

"Valiant effort to win her heart, Awase," Izuku playfully punched Yosetsu's arm. "When this is all over, you have to tell me which one your sweetheart is."

"My… what?" Yosetsu thought he was dreaming. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you're not doing this to help people in need," Izuku said, half whispering.

"What are you accusing me of, Midoriya?" Yosetsu snarled.

"Look at you man, you're sweating, and you haven't even used your muscles yet," Izuku muttered under his breath. "I have seen you function before. You were ice cold. Now you're sweating like the world is coming to an end. There is only one thing that can turn a man inside out, and that's lll…."

"Hey, hey, hey, focus!" Ochaco interjected before the conversation blew out of proportion. "Can it wait until after the concert?"

"Alright, let's do this!" Izuku turned around and walked toward his station, but midway he turned back and point at Yosetsu's chest. "I'm right, aren't I, Awase?" he said through the intercom.

"Whatever," Yosetsu walked to the other direction, but he kept thinking about Izuku's words. Why did he do it? Was it because he had a hero's heart, eager to help people in need, or was it because he wanted to impress somebody? Did he genuinely care about the safety of Aqours or just Chika? Was he a hero, or a groupie infatuated by a girl he couldn't get, just like his friend Kosei Tsuburaba?

He wished Kosei were there. His Air Prison Quirk would be very useful in a situation like this.

His musing stopped when Chika took the stage, followed by the rest of the group. The girls were wearing colorful cheerleader outfit that reflected the colors used by Plasmagica. Her eyes quickly found his, and he gave her an assuring nod, telling her that everything was under control.

"Hellooooo Tokyo!" Chika yelled at the mic, to the cheer of hundreds of rock fans. "Are you ready for some fun tonight? We are Aqours, we're gonna give you some warm up before the big event later tonight! So sit back and enjoy the show!"

The speakers exploded with Aozora Jumping Heart while the girls sang and shook their bodies to the music. The park was only half full and those gathering around the stage didn't give too much attention to the attraction. It made Yosetsu somewhat relieved. He felt bad for the girls for not getting the attention they deserved, but considering the type of fans, he would rather have the Aqours being ignored than harassed.

But Yosetsu should've known that it was just wishful thinking. A few fans on Izuku's section started popping up beer cans.

"Hey Yaoyorozu, are you seeing this?" Izuku chimed. "Liquor starts flowing."

"Yeah, leave them alone for now. See where one can of beer take them."

The Aqours' kept going, and more fans gathered around the stage. Fueled by the crowd's reaction, the girls pulled out Miracle Wave, a highly energetic pop-rock number, and at mid song Chika performed a difficult back flip that ignited the crowd as if she was the main event.

 _Kanau kana? (_ HI! _) Kanau! (_ HI! _)  
_ _Negai wa onaji (jibun no kagayaki)  
_ _Mane janai orijinaru no_ HEART WAVE  
 _Kanau kana? (_ HI! _) Kanau! (_ HI! _)  
_ _Sore ga hitsuyou sa (dakara) atsui atsui janpu ga  
_ _Atarashii hikari tsukami toru tame ni  
_ _Ima saidai no (_ YEAH! _)_ HEART WAVE MIRACLE

But trouble kept following the girls. The drinking fans finished their second cans and started their third round. Their body language exerted malice.

"Three cans in 15 minutes," Ochaco stated. "That's more beer than I'm comfortable with."

"Alright, if they pop the fourth, give them a warning," Momo said. "Subtle verbal warning."

"Do you want me to back them up?" Pyrrha suggested.

"No, Midoriya and Urakara can handle it. Stay where you are."

Sure enough, the fans finished the third round faster than the previous ones and started their fourth round.

"I'm going in," Izuku said as he walked slowly toward them. He tried not to look aggressive, but the moment the drunken fans saw him, they thought he was going to take away their beer. They started shoving him around, yelling and cursing.

Yosetsu could see the trouble with Izuku from across the field. "Yaoyorozu, they get physical with Midoriya!"

"Back him up! Back him up!" Momo hissed with a slight nervousness in her voice.

Yosetsu cut through the crowd and relieved some pressure off Izuku, going head to head with two drunken fans. At first he tried to talk them into taking a break, but one of the fans threw a can of beer at the stage. The can flew above the girls' heads and hammered a speaker on stage. Half of the girls screamed in panic, and the mic picked their screams up.

It was a declaration of war as far as Yosetsu concerned.


	9. Chapter 9

**Review Corner** :

 **The Colonel** : The time has come!

 **Ulquiorra9000** : In normal situation he may be more receptive to jokes and teasings. But at that time he is nervous out of his mind. He's not up for light humor at the moment.  
And of course, Ochaco's quirk is best for crowd control, if she can keep it up…

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Crowd Control**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 31**_

"Hey!" Yosetsu shoved the guy that threw beer can. As a security guard he knew he shouldn't use excessive force when dealing with fans, but he couldn't help it. The girl he cared so much could've been hurt by such irresponsible stunt. "Watch it, man! You could've hit somebody!"

The drunken guy fell on his back but got up quickly, then mumbled something to the crowd next to him. Now 3 more fans pounced at him, repulsed by Yosetsu's 'unnecessary roughness'. Yosetsu tried to defuse the situation, but their common sense had been clouded by alcohol. They came at him, shoving and cursing, to the point where Yosetsu started thinking of using his hero skill to restore order.

The guy that threw beer can continued to spread his venom among fans, coaxing them into mugging Yosestsu. Izuku, who had settled down the other two drunken fans, realized he had to silence the troublemaker. He advanced toward him but the angry fans saw it as a cowardly attack. Half a dozen fans jumped on him and pushed him around. Izuku fought the angry mob valiantly, but without his quirk or hero skills, he fought a losing battle.

Momo and Pyrrha knew that Izuku and Yosetsu wouldn't be able to control the situation alone so they charged the crowd. Momo was still subtle in her approach, but Pyrrha was not bound by hero laws. She pushed the fans back, forcefully, until a few of them ended on the ground. Not to be outdone by a girl, two male fans swung their fists at Pyrrha, but the redhaired girl parried the attack and kicked their ankles until they dropped to their knees, groaning in pain.

When a fan burst a bottle and used it as a knife, Momo decided they needed their Plus Ultra moves.

"Quirk at will!" she shouted as she created 2 bokkens, one of which she tossed to Pyrrha.

"Oh yeah!" Pyrrha grabbed the bokken and blocked the man with the broken bottle. "Let's rock!" The man charged blindly, but Pyrrha sidestepped his attack then slammed her bokken on the man's wrist. The man screamed and dropped his bottle. Pyrrha kicked the broken bottle out of the way, then hit the man's shin. The man cried like a little girl and curled into fetal position as he nurtured his shin.

Ochaco, who kept herself out of position the entire time, now dove into the conflict. A few angry fans pushed and grabbed her but she simply touched them with her fingers, and they started floating. The more fans trying to harm her, the more of them took off the ground as if suspended by invisible strings. Panic screams echoed through the park as the floating fans had no idea what was happening to them.

It could be the end of the conflict as Ochaco could just make the troubling fans float, but the troublemaker grabbed a rock and threw it at her. The rock hit her shoulder. Her concentration broke, and her quirk deactivated. The floating fans crashed to the ground in a cascade of thumps and agonizing screams.

Izuku saw what was done to the girl he had been lusting for, and it drove him mad. His veins protruded on his forearm as he activated One For All. He was careful enough not to go overboard with his powerful quirk, and his plan was just to scare the fans with it. But when he saw the perpetrator, the beer-throwing thug that started all this mess and had the audacity to 'hurt' his dream girl, he just went with it. He jumped over a mob of fans and landed right in front of the troublemaker. The drunken guy did what he did best: he threw a rock at Izuku, but Izuku simply caught it. The guy turned around and broke into a sprint, but Izuku threw the rock like a baseball. The rock hit the guy on the base of his neck, and his body sloshed to the ground like jelly.

Meanwhile Momo held her own against three violent fans. One of them pulled a pocket knife and tried to outflank her while the other two attacked her from the front. Momo easily dispatched one fan and was routing the other when the knife-wielding fan inched closer behind her. Suddenly his knife shook violently then flew off his hand, landing on the grip of Pyrrha.

Momo threw a dirty look at Pyrrha before immobilizing her opponent. "I got everything under control!"

"You're welcome!" Pyrrha yelled back and threw the knife at the owner, who started to take off. The knife stabbed his toe, and he screamed before rolling on the ground, trying to pull the knife that went cleanly through his shoe.

All this time Aqours stayed on stage, crying and hugging each other, not really knowing what to do. None of them had experience with such a crowd before. A few quick-thinking organizers started pulling out their phones to call the police, but everything went so fast that before the police could restore order, it might be too late. And when two fans climbed up the stage, everybody knew the police would be way too late to deal with them.

Momo watched the fans climbing up the stage, and realized she was too far to do anything. The only one what was close enough to the stage was Yosetsu. "Awase! The stage!"

Yosetsu sprinted toward the stage, bypassing a few angry fans, and crashed himself onto the man closest to the girls. He pushed the man to the light structure, then used his quirk to 'weld' the man's belt buckle to the metal posts. The man pushed him back and tried to hit him, but suddenly realized he couldn't walk away from the light posts, as if his pants were glued to the structure.

"Off the stage! Off the stage!" Yosetsu waved his hands to get the girls out of trouble. The other guy started making his way to the girl, and Yosetsu cut his path. The guy grabbed a guitar stand and swung it wildly. Yosetsu backpedaled to avoid the attack but he was tripped and fell on his butt. The man pinned him to the ground and clubbed him with the guitar stand. Yosetsu had no choice but to block the strike with his left hand. A sting of pain surged through his arm, and he bit his lips to keep him from crying out.

But before the man could launch another strike, Yosetsu grabbed the guitar stand and welded it to the ground. The man was caught off guard; he tried to yank the stand off the ground to no avail. It was a brief pause Yosetsu desperately needed, and he poked the man in the eye. The man jerked behind and rolling on the ground, screaming and wailing as he buried his face in his hands.

Yosetsu pulled himself up only to see three other guys climbing up the stage, but before they could do anything, a large man with white hair, a white mask with 4 muzzle holes, a vest without shirt, and oversized arm bands that looked like the cylindrical magazine of a revolver, jumped up the stage and pushed the fans off. Several men, presumably his minions, arrived at the park and started assisting Momo, Pyrrha, Izuku, and Ochaco controlling the situation, until all the troubling fans were subdued.

The man turned to Yosetsu. "Good job on crowd control, students. Now back off. Gunhead Hero Agency will take over."

"Oh Thank God!" Yosetsu let out a long, drawn out breath. He ran backstage where Chika and the rest of the girls were waiting anxiously. "It's all over. The situation is under control. We have Gunhead Hero Agency protecting us. Soon the police will be here."

" _Dono yona kyusai!_ " Several girls expressed their relief. "I was so scared I could die!"

"Are you OK?" Chika grabbed Yosetsu's arm, and immediately released it when he grimaced in pain. "You're hurt, Awase-san! You have to have it taken care of!"

"It's just a scratch," Yosetsu tried to downplay his injury, but Chika's stern stare melted his resistance. "Ambulance will be here any minute."

Chika managed to force a smile and leaned on Yosetsu's arm. "This is the last time we're doing a rock concert. We're strictly a J-Pop band from now on!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Review Corner**

 **The Colonel:** Momo will thank Pyrrha 'generously' later…

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Much like real life, nobody gets what they want to get, but they get something else that they never thought they would, and eternally be thankful for that.

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Aftermath**

 _ **Yoyogi Park,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **July 31**_

Examination by the paramedic revealed that there was no bone fracture in Yosetsu's arm. It was just 'flesh wound' with moderate bruise. The paramedic wrapped his arm with bandage and bombarded him with treatment methods, most of which he would forget after 5 minutes.

While Yosetsu was being treated, Momo, Pyrrha, and Aqours gathered around the ambulance car while Izuku and Ochaco talked to Gunhead. Ochaco was nodding and bowing politely while Izuku stood a bit farther and listened to the Pro Hero intently. After a few minutes, Gunhead went toward the stage while Izuku and Ochaco regrouped with the rest.

"Alright, guys, we may get a lot of flaks for this," Izuku broke the news. "We used our quirks against civilians. That is a flagrant foul. Not to mention we don't have Provisional Hero License yet. It makes UA look very bad. There will be investigations and Principal Nezu, Coach Yagi, and our homeroom teachers would be in hot seats. We could get severe disciplinary punishment, with possibilities of being expelled from UA."

"However," Ochaco continued, "Gunhead-sensei understood the situation and he would back us up. He would testify in any investigation that what we did was to protect innocent civilians from malicious intent. We used our quirks to uphold peace. We helped the society. I think," she paused a moment, "if we can argue that we used our quirks against 'villains' instead of 'civilians', we'll be alright."

"I made the decision to use quirks," Momo tuned in. "I will take all the responsibility. You guys shouldn't have to answer any questions from the police or Hero Public Safety Commission, only me."

"None of you should be doing this," Yosetsu chimed in. "I'm the one who works for this event. You get into this mess because of me. I will take the responsibility and all consequences that come with it."

"No, no, we're in this together," Izuku said. "Nobody is going to take the fall for everyone. Just stick together, set our story straight, and share any development with each other so we don't look like a bunch of bozos in front of top brass. We stand up together and fall down together. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Plus Ultra," Ochaco responded enthusiastically.

"Plus Ultra," Momo nodded.

"Plus Ultra," Yosetsu added.

"Guys, I don't play by the same rule with you, but I'm in," Pyrrha joined in. "I kicked the most asses in the field. I can't let you take credit for that."

"Show off! You stole one from me!" Momo playfully pushed her, followed by light laughter by everybody.

"I am sorry you have to go through troubles because of Aqours," Chika said. "Had I known it would end like this, I would've just canceled our involvement and gone home."

"Takami-san, this is what we are trained to do," Ochaco replied. "The law is blind; it does not differentiate villains from heroes. Sad, but it's just how it works. But given a chance to do it all over again, we wouldn't do it any other way. We are heroes not because we have superpowers. We are heroes because we help people when nobody else does."

"Thank goodness we have you on our side," Dia said. "All week long the event organizers treated us like an extra to Plasmagica. It is nice to see somebody still care about us."

"Speaking of Plasmagica," Pyrrha looked at her watch, "the show is about to start, and we still have tickets! Anyone is in the mood for a rock concert?"

"No, no, no, we're done with rock music!" the Aqours broke into dissonance. "We just want to go back to the hotel."

"Midoriya-san, Uraraka-san, could you escort them to the hotel?" Yosetsu said. "I'll stay here for a while, in case Tsuburaba shows up. I'm gonna beat his ass for leaving me to deal with this alone."

"Sure," Izuku replied. "Don't forget to send me his pictures. I'll post them in his facebook page." He shot a giddy smile at Ochaco, then turned to the Aqours. "Alright, ladies, let's call it a night. We'll escort you back."

"You guys go ahead," Chika unexpectedly said. "I'm gonna stay here for a while."

"Stay? What for?" Ruby widened her eyes. "You're not gonna watch the concert, after everything that happened to us, are you?"

"No, I just need a little fresh air," Chika forced a smile. "Go ahead and rest, I'll find my way back."

"Chika-chan, let's just go!" Kanan and Mari tried to persuade her to return to the hotel. "What are you looking for? There's no intelligent life here, just loud music and hooligans!"

But Izuku made a gesture with his head, referring them to Yosetsu. Kanan and Mari couldn't really catch what he was saying, but they got the general idea. They turned around and joined the rest of the girls who couldn't wait to get out of the park.

Chika waited until she was completely alone with Yosetsu, then looked at him in the earnest. "Why are you doing this?"

"Just doing my job. I'm a security guard of this concert."

"You are not paid enough for this job. You may not get paid at all. You could easily leave this place and get better jobs. Why do you stay here? Why do you go through this trouble, and take your friends with you? What do you get out of this?"

Yosetsu wanted to shout _Because I'm in Love With You!_ , kiss her juicy lips, drag her to a nearby hotel and ravish her scrumptious body until she screams with pleasure, but it would be the end of everything. Even though he wanted to be brutally honest to her, she might not like it. Sometimes a little lie would buy him time. So he opted for the longer, less straightforward, and less honest path.

"I guess that's what I'm trained to do," he said morosely. "I want to be a Pro Hero, and it is a Pro Hero job to help people in need. You know, just like Uraraka-san said."

Chika knew Yosetsu was lying through his teeth. She could see the pain in his eyes when he gave his answer. She knew he was giving her what she wanted to hear, not what she wanted to know. And she speculated what Yosetsu was hiding from her. But the truth was, she was not ready for it. Her world would implode if Yosetsu was brutally honest with her. So she decided she wouldn't step any further. Yosetsu's lie was good enough for today.

" _Arigato_ ," she said. It was not an appreciation of what he did during the concert. It was her appreciation for him respecting her boundary. Yosetsu wouldn't know the difference, but again, it was good enough for today. "You know what I just realized? You did fuse somebody to the lamp post."

It took Yosetsu a while to understand what Chika was referring to, but when he did, he laughed heartily. "I guess I did!"

"Maybe you should be careful of what you say," Chika said, giving him a scant hint that she knew what he was hiding from her. "When it turns into reality, you may not like it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Yosetsu smiled, oblivious to what Chika was referring to.

"Hey, Awase," Izuku's voice crackled in his earpiece. "Eight hot ladies checking in to their rooms. Are you still with the other one?"

"Yes, I'll take care of her," Yosetsu replied. " _Arigato gozaimasu_ , Midoriya-san."

" _Dooitashimashite_. And listen, I don't mean to sound nosy, but you should know that you just landed a jackpot with her."

"What are you talking about?" Yosetsu cringed. He walked away from Chika lest she overheard Izuku's voice, which he had an idea where it was going.

"Dude, did you not see who you're dealing with?" Izuku pressed on. "She's hot. She's a celebrity. A school idol that has her eyes on you. She's head over heels about you, man! And I know you're head over heels about her too!"

"We just met 3 days ago!" Yosetsu hissed, trying to keep his voice down. "You're right, I'm head over heels about her, but that doesn't mean I should move like a _Shinkansen_."

"What do you expect, she's a celebrity! Her life moves like a _Shinkansen_. If you're not moving as fast as she is, she'll leave you in the dust, and you'll be wondering why you didn't move as fast as she was in the first place."

"Even if that's true, let me deal with this in my own way, on my own pace, and most importantly, her preferred pace. If we can't sync our paces, then maybe we're not meant to be. I appreciate your counsel, but I'll be alright without it."

"That's what Kaminari said before everything blew up in his face. But fair enough, if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

" _Ja ne_ , Midoriya-san," Yosetsu took his earpiece off. She turned to Chika, "That was uh, Izuku Midoriya, giving me some… uh, _report_ , about your friends, in detail."

" _So da ne_ ," Chika smiled.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your hotel."

"I don't really want to go back."

"So… where do you want to go?"

Chika winked. "Are you up for ice cream?"

Yosetsu grinned from ear to ear. "Always!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Izuku's matchmaking skill will be put to the test in the upcoming chapters. Stay tuned for more.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Parting**

 _ **Shibuya Bus Station,  
**_ _ **Shibuya, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **August 1**_

The PA announced that the bus to Numazu would depart in 10 minutes. The Aqours girls had stuffed their belongings to the overhead compartments and took a seat. Most of them drowned themselves in music through headphones, and only two opted to read magazines without anything hanging on their ears.

Chika fought back a little lump in her throat as she stood on the platform with Yosetsu. He only had his duffle bag with him, exactly like the first time she saw him. He had his t-shirt and faded jeans on, and his spiky black hair was kept up by a bandana. But it was her bandana he was wearing. It didn't look good on him, but she had never seen him without it since she gave it to him a few days ago.

"Well, I guess you'd better be onboard," Yosetsu said with an awkward smile. "You don't wanna miss it."

"Right," Chika returned his awkward smile with her own. "It's been a crazy week for us. Opening a rock concert… Really? What are we thinking?"

"At least you have friends to share the experience with. Mine is still missing."

"Yeah, whatever happens to him?"

Yosetsu shrugged. "He talked me into doing this security job, and now he disappears in the middle of Tokyo. If I didn't meet you, I would kick him in the butt. He has to return to school eventually."

"Too bad I don't have a chance to meet him. I wish we had more time."

"There will be another time," Yosetsu pulled his phone. "We got each other's number."

"Call me, text me, and video-chat with me sometimes," Chika smiled. "Let me know how the investigation with Hero Public Safety Commission goes."

"It'll be long, arduous, and depressing, with no guarantee of a happy ending. Are you sure you want to be a part of it?"

"Very sure. I am already a part of it."

"Very well," Yosetsu put his phone back in his pocket, then drew something else out of his other pocket. "I know today is your birthday. Happy Birthday! I have something for you." He handed in a small bow.

" _Maa, nante subarashii_!" Chika's hand trembled as she received the bow. She promised herself long time ago that she would not cry in front of anybody, but she was taken completely by surprise it was hard to keep her eyes from overflowing. "H-How… how did you know?"

Once again Yosetsu shrugged. "I'm sorry, it's not much, but it's all I can afford today. Please accept it."

Chika couldn't speak. She just replaced her bow on her braid with Yosetsu's.

"Chika-chan! We're leaving!" You Watanabe, her best friend, hailed her from the bus door.

" _Haaii!_ " Chika replied, hiding her face from her. She took a step back and bowed, "Awase-san, a _rigato gozaimasu, aete yokatta na_!"

" _Kienaide tte!_ " Yosetsu bowed back. "You can call me Yosetsu."

" _Yooshi_ , Yosetsu-chan! _Ja ne!_ " Chika ran toward the bus door without looking back. It would get harder to leave if she kept looking at him. She took the empty seat next to You, buried her face in her palms for a while until the bus started rolling into the busy streets of Shibuya.

"Chika-chan, are you alright?" You asked. She looked at Chika's new bow, "What a pretty birthday gift!"

Chika shot a dirty look at You. "How do you know this is a birthday gift?" Then everything started to make sense. That day, at Yoyogi Park, after the rehearsal, before they went to the beach, "Did you tell him?"

"Chika-chan, you are my best friend," You smiled knowingly. "Do you think I do not notice your giddy behavior when you're around him? Your face all red, your knees all wobbly, your voice all over the place? You're smitten by the love bug, my friend!"

"I am NOT!" Chika almost jumped. She was not ready to admit it. She was not even ready to hear it. But coming from her BFF, maybe there was no other way to go around it. Might as well go with it. "Well I uh… I like him… a lot…"

"I know, so I thought why didn't I give you a birthday present you'll never forget?" You wrapped her arms around Chika's shoulder. "Happy Birthday!"

Chika looked at You, leaned her head on You's shoulder, then held her braid up so she could see the bow Yosetsu gave her. "Best birthday gift ever!"

* * *

Yosetsu was about to board the bus to Musutafu when he saw Kosei Tsuburaba walking toward him. His face contorted in exasperation, his eyes were red from lack of sleep, and his hair was shaggy and greasy, a sure sign he didn't shower for a few days.

"Well, well, look who's finally decided to show up!" Yosetsu threw bile at him. "Where have you been?"

"Working!" Kosei returned Yosetsu's snide remark with his own. "Where have _you_ been?"

"Working! The opening act almost broke into a riot. I had to beg a few students from Class 1-A and another high school to help me restore order. I don't remember seeing you there."

"Who cares about the opening act! I told you, we are here to provide protection for Cyan Hijirikawa!"

"You accomplished your mission, then?"

"I wish!" Kosei threw his hands in the air. "I was assigned to guard a changing room, but it was the backup singer's changing room, not Cyan Hijirikawa's! Do you know how undignified it is to watch over ugly women changing clothes? Anyway, the security manager never relieved me. I was there for 3 days before I knew that he had abandoned his position. What a low life! I tried to talk to the event organizers but nobody would take responsibility of my effort! So my 3-day work was completely wasted. This trip is a complete disaster. We shouldn't have come here in the first place, man."

"Why didn't you return my calls, man? I've been trying to get a hold of you for days!"

Kosei pulled his phone and waved it toward Yosetsu. "I forgot my charger."

" _Maji ka yo?_ " Yosetsu could only shake his head. But as much as he wanted to punch Kosei, he couldn't help feeling pity for his friend. He didn't get what he expected but he got so much more. Kosei, on the other hand, got absolutely nothing.

"Did you get ticket for this bus?" Yosetsu asked.

Kosei drew a rumpled ticket from his pocket. "With my last yen. You?"

"I got ticket and a few yen left. Let's just go home." He followed Kosei to board the bus. He jumped aboard just as the driver closed the door, then took the seat next to Kosei.

"Awase, I'm sorry," Kosei said. "I'm sorry to drag you all the way here for nothing."

"Hey, forget it," Yosetsu pulled his bandana down to cover his eyes. "We still have 4 weeks of summer break. There should be other gigs that need security guards."

"Well check this out, man!" Kosei drew a scrunched-up flyer from his pocket. "Franchouchou, another all-girl rock band, will be playing at Hard Rock Café in Musutafu. They need some bouncers. It's in town by the mall. We're so going in!"

"Looking forward to it," Yosetsu replied halfheartedly. As the bus rolled out of the station, he relived the happy memory with Chika. From the moment they first met on that rainy day, to their first 'date' at the ice cream parlor, to their fun 'getaway' at the beach, all the way to the heart-pounding night when he stood between her and dozens of angry rock fans. What a wonderful 4-day stretch to spend with the most amazing girl he had ever met. And before he knew it, he started humming Aozora Jumping Heart.

"How come you're such in a good mood?" Kosei got irate.

Yosetsu lifted his bandana high enough to look at Kosei. "Excited to go home?" he said before pulling it back down.

But Kosei quickly figured out what was happening with him. He yanked his bandana off his head. "You traitor. You hooked up, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Give me back my headband!" Yosetsu tried to get his bandana back. It was the gift from Chika, and as of now, it was his most valuable possession.

But Kosei stretched his arm wide so Yosetsu couldn't reach it. "Did you hook up while I was doing double shifts at the changing room?"

Yosetsu didn't want to make Kosei feel worse but Kosei made him listen to Cyan Hijirikawa all morning long. A little payback would be appropriate. "I'm sorry, but you left me at the stage. I didn't know what else to do, and this girl happened to ask for help, so I helped her. And then everything … sort of… took off."

"You're unbelievable!" Kosei threw the bandana at Yosetsu. "I brought you to be my wingman, and you're the one who got some action. Unbelievable." He hyperventilated for a while, then calmed down. "So congratulations, you got yourself a girlfriend. What do you do now?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Yosetsu put his bandana back on. "We just hung out for 4 days. It's not enough time to establish relationship. But she's beautiful, in every way. I can't get her out of my head. So I don't know what I'm going to do. I need time to figure things out."

"Wussy," Kosei scoffed. "Well then, take your sweet time because you're not coming to Franchouchou gig with me! Maybe I'll take Hiryu Rin. He's pretty timid around girls. I think he's still a virgin, which makes him the ideal wingman for me."

Yosetsu smiled. "I wish you the best of luck, Tsuburaba." He rested his head on the seat and continued his interrupted daydream about him and his sweet little friend, wondering where they would end up in the future.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

What a perfect chapter to post at Valentine's Day. **Act I** is complete. I'm going to take a short break before moving on to **Act II.** More Yosetsu-Chika budding romance, more upbeat music from _Aqours_ , more UA silliness, and a real villain with crooked minions! Stay tuned, and _Plus Ultra!_


	12. Interlude 1

**INTERLUDE I**

 **Author's Note : **

This chapter contains strong sexual references. Reader's discretion is advised.

* * *

 _ **Nabunabu Apartment Complex,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **August 3**_

Hiryu Rin paced the floor of the cramped apartment room, wearing only his boxer. It was an efficiency apartment room designed for students who spent most of the time at school, and used it only to sleep. There was no place to hang clothes; the occupants had to resolve to a nylon cupboard that couldn't hold a lot before crumbling, or the only table in provided. The bed didn't have enough cushions, a fact he discovered the first time he used it. And the bathroom was practically a hole in the wall, with just enough space for one person to stand, or squat.

There was news that the first grade students would move to 'Height Alliance', the UA High School dormitories located just across the street from class, and he was torn by it. It was nice to move out of this kind of place, but he had to share space with his classmates. His privacy would be reduced by half, and that was not a good thing, considering his recent 'extracurricular activity'.

A faint chime burst from the bathroom, and Hiryu stood vigilant at the center of the room, facing the bathroom door. A few minutes later a small girl, wearing _only_ his t-shirt, came out of the bathroom carrying a white stick. Her brown hair was tied in a messy pony tail, and the freckles in her face were overshadowed by the pinkish blush. His heart rate spiked up, both by the anticipation and the scenery the girl offered.

"Well?" Hiryu said with a hint of impatience in his voice.

The girl held up the stick. "One stripe," she sighed. "It's negative."

Hiryu was careful enough not to express his relief too visibly. He didn't want to come out as an irresponsible jerk. But still, his sigh was audible enough for anybody in that room, and when he realized it, there was nothing he could do to take it back.

"You need to have better control of yourself, Fei-Long-chan," the girl said as she walked past him.

 _Lin Fei-Long_. That was his original Chinese name. Nobody called him with that name, except his immediate family members, and this girl. Everybody addressed him by his Japanese name, Hiryu Rin. It was a great honor to be called by his original name, even more so by the girl he had so much fun with.

"I apologize," he said as he followed the girl. "I got lost in the heat of passion sometimes."

"Sometimes," the girl smiled sheepishly. "It feels like you got lost _everytime_."

"It's not easy when you have a hot girlfriend," Hiryu defended his 'deficiency'. "Have you considered taking pills?"

"Yeah, well…" the girl walked toward the window. "A lot of people will know."

"I don't think so," Hiryu stood by her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "UA will protect your medical history, unless it is live threatening. I know the Recovery Girl. She is very compassionate about students' well-being. She will not disclose what you get from her to your family."

"People will talk," she whispered under her breath. "They will find out. They always do."

"Then get it from out-of-campus pharmacy."

"Do you think I have money for it? Look at my room," the girl shot a dirty glare at Hiryu. "My father works 16 hours a day to afford this place. I don't have the heart to spend their money on 'protection'. That pregnancy stick alone just cost me a week worth of lunch."

"You could move in with me," Hiryu suggested, "and cut the cost on accommodation."

"Fei-Long-chan," the girl moaned, "I can't. People will take note. How about 'rubber'? It's cheaper than pills. Can you wear rubber instead?"

"I uh…" Hiryu hesitated. "I can't. I can't please you with it."

"I'm OK with it."

"No, I'm not OK with it. This is our intimacy. Our connection. This has to be _our_ thing. I'm not making it _my_ thing."

The girl averted her eyes. It hurt Hiryu so much to realize that he put the girl he cared in a difficult situation. But he didn't know what else to do. Every day with this girl felt like Christmas. They were perfectly compatible with each other in every way: academically, physically, and emotionally. Everything they did together connected them to the deepest level. But although she enjoyed their intimacy, she couldn't let herself free from the burden of people noticing their relationship.

"We need to stop doing this," the girl sighed as she looked out of the window. "Soon we are moving in to the dormitories. We will share walls with other students. They will notice what we are doing together."

"Why is it bad ?" Hiryu started to become irritated.

"My family has high hopes for me. My father enrolls me in this school because he wants me to help people. He's a man with a good heart. He wants his daughter to become a beacon of hope, like the Pro Heroes. I'm not blessed with a quirk, but I can still support heroes in doing their jobs. That's what he wants from me. But UA is not cheap. He has to work double shifts to afford tuition and accommodation. If he knows that I am sleeping with a guy instead of studying, his heart will break."

Somehow Hiryu had a hard time relating her family's high hope with her fear of being spotted by friends. For him, both of them could coexist. She was a smart student. If she could prove that she could be in a serious relationship and be successful in her study, her father should not make a big deal about it anymore. But everybody had their own logic. No matter how ridiculous it was, he had to respect it.

"So… is this what you want?" he battled a lump in her throat.

"No," the girl squeezed his hands. "I want to be with you. But I can't, not until things change. Maybe after we graduate. Please understand, I am not leaving you. You're a great guy. I hate doing this to you, but…" she sniffled and cleared her throat, "it is for the best."

"I understand," Hiryu said and kissed the girl's forehead. Well, that was his original intention, before his hand landed on her back. She caressed his abs, and it was his last inhibition. He grabbed her butt and lifted her off the ground. The feeling of her bare legs against his pectoral skin was so exquisite he almost lost it.

"Ow!" the girl yelped into his mouth. "Fei-Long-chan…"

"We still have 4 weeks before we move in to the dormitories," Hiryu said raggedly. "I'm not wasting one day without loving you."

"I don't want to get pregnant," the girl said, yet contradictorily locked her ankles behind his back.

"My friend Kosei Tsuburaba invited me to a summer job. He said it paid good. I'll get the pills for you."

"No, it's not fair for you…"

"I love you, Aki-chan. I love you. I'll do anything for you."

The rest of the day went without any coherent dialogue between them.


	13. Chapter 12

**ACT II**

 **Chapter 12: Keeper**

 _ **Class 1-B Dormitory, UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **September 20**_

Much had happened since Yosetsu and Chika met, and parted, at Tokyo.

After the concert, the Hero Public Safety Commission launched an investigation to determine if 4 UA High School students - Izuku Midoriya, Ochaco Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Yosetsu Awase – abused their quirks against civilians. Principal Nezu, Shota Aizawa, and Sekijiro Kan had to answer questions regarding the way they taught the students on using quirks. But with Gunhead's crisp testimony, the investigation went smoother than expected. The students did not have to answer any questions from the Commission. Even though no decision had been issued, everybody knew that they would not be indicted for misusing quirks in public.

Izuku, Ochaco, Momo, and Yosetsu had moved in to UA dormitory along with their classmates. They passed their Provisional Hero License Exam and now held licenses to use their quirks in public to uphold law and peace. Izuku accepted internship with Gran Torino, a retired Pro Hero. Gunhead was impressed with Ochaco's performance at the concert, so he offered her an internship at his agency, which she accepted. Momo accepted internship with Pro Hero Uwabami to make shampoo commercials, much to her chagrin. And Yosetsu applied internship at Musutafu Fire Department under Pro Hero Backdraft.

Pyrrha Nikos and team JNPR now stationed at Okinawa. There were incidents of supernatural creatures harassing American marines at Okinawa, so the CO talked to Beacon Academy to send some students to have internship at USMC base at Okinawa. Pyrrha submitted the application for team JNPR without consent from Jaune Arc, which made the team lead very, very upset. But when they settled down at Okinawa, he liked it.

And at Numazu, Aqours spent the rest of the summer training at the Takami's resort. Love Live regional preliminaries were around the corner, and the girls were determined to make it to the finals this time. But when they started feeling comfortable with their composition, they were hit by news that Riko Sakurauchi, the most talented member of Aqours, had a piano recital at Tokyo at the same day as the qualifiers. This put a lot of pressure on the remaining 8 girls as they had to adjust their harmonization and dance moves.

Yosetsu and Chika maintained their 'friendship' through texts and phone calls daily, and video chat on weekends. Yosetsu made a 360-degree panoramic shot of his new room at UA dorm, and Chika introduced him to her family during a video session, which took him completely by surprise.

'I can't believe you did that', Yosetsu texted Chika as he was sitting alone at the dormitory lobby.

'Why? You were not in the bathroom when talking to Dad, were you?' Chika texted back.

'I could have. Next time you wanna invite somebody, tell me beforehand. I don't want your family to see my undies.' He ended his text with a smiley.

Chika replied with a string of tongue emoji's.

'How's practice?' Yosetsu asked.

'Good. It sucks missing Riko, but we have to keep moving. Prelim's in a week. We need to do it if we want to go to the finals next year.'

'You'll get it. You worked hard all summer. I have faith in you.'

' _Arigato_ ' Chika texted with a thumbs-up emoji. 'How's internship?'

'Meh. Nothing happened today, so we just hung out at the fire station.'

'Your quirk has nothing to do with fire or water. Why fire station?'

'It's more than just putting out fire. I wanna specialize in Emergency Response. My quirk is not good for fighting, but it may be useful during disasters. You know, fire and such.'

'Leaked ceiling?'

Yosetsu replied with a LOL emoji.

'Hey, do you want to watch me perform at the prelim?' Chika asked. 'It's at Hamamatsu, 2 hours from Numazu, maybe 3 or 4 from you.'

'I don't know', Yosetsu paused to think. Of course he wanted to see Chika again. But she was competing in a regional preliminary. His presence might disrupt her concentration and her synergy with her friends. 'Is it OK with the others?'

'I don't see why not'.

'Well I'm not so sure. I don't want to disturb you. You already lost Riko. I don't want you to lose you. You know what I mean?'

'Then come as a spectator. Enjoy great music and cute idols. Maybe you can take one home to warm your bed'.

Yosetsu smiled broadly. _Oh, if only you know how much I want it to happen!_ he muttered to himself. 'Alright, I'll go. I'll bring this up to Backdraft-sensei. I have been his good intern for almost a month. Maybe he can give me some slack'.

'Add some flowers, chocolates, and promises you don't intend to keep', Chika texted with ROFL emoji.

Yosetsu chuckled and replied with big imp emoji. He was too caught up with texting to notice that Hiryu Rin, his classmate, had taken a seat in front of him. When he finally noticed Hiryu, he realized his friend had been watching him for a while, giggling and chuckling by himself.

"Having fun, Awase?" the Chinese-born student teased him.

"I-I just uh…*cough cough* " Yosetsu was at a loss of word. He sent Chika a quick 'Got to go. _Ja Ne_.' then straightened his posture. "It was uh… you know, my friend. She uh… sort of, invited me to the uh… idol preliminary at Hamamatsu, next week."

"That's nice," Hiryu shot a jealous stare at him. "Tsuburaba told me you had a girlfriend. Was he talking about this girl or was it a different girl?"

"I'm gonna kill Tsuburaba for real!" Yosetsu growled. "Yes, Rin-san, he was talking about this girl, but no, she is not my girlfriend. She is a friend, a good friend, a great friend… ah who am I kidding?"

"Sounds like she's a keeper," Hiryu said. "I can see why Tsuburaba mistook her as your girlfriend."

"Keeper?" Yosetsu chuckled awkwardly. "Well, to tell you the truth, I do like her, a lot. She's funny. She's smart. She's beautiful. She's uh… the most amazing girl I've ever met. But a keeper… we are the best of friends, and I'm scared to lose our friendship because I want to have more. So I don't know."

"Well, whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck," Hiryu said.

"Thank you Rin," Yosetsu bowed his head courteously. "How about you? Have someone special?"

"No," Hiryu suddenly got up and started walking away. "Good night, Awase."

"Hey, hey, hey, what is that?" Yosetsu got up and grabbed Hiryu's ponytail. "I spilt my guts out for you and you're giving me that crap? Come on, sit down, and tell me your love story!"

Hiryu slapped Yosetsu's hand to free his ponytail, but he sat back down anyway. He drew a heavy breath before looking at Yosetsu. The life in his eyes suddenly disappeared. "Well, I sort of went out with Akiho Suzuki…"

"The freckled girl from Class 1-G? I know her, she's really cute, man!" Yosetsu said excitedly. The truth was he barely knew the girl. He probably wouldn't recognize her if they met outside UA. But Hiryu was a good friend, and he was trying to be supportive. "How did you guys meet?"

"It was during the Sport Festival. Remember the Obstacle Course? She struggled to keep up, so I helped her out. But we were so far behind, so she dropped out to give me a chance to advance to the next level. I barely made it because of her. We kept in touch, and the next time we knew, we were dating."

"That's great, man, I'm happy for you!"

"We're not together anymore."

"Eeh?!" Yosetsu choked. "Sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"We just want to be friends."

"What the hell?" Yosetsu noticed something fishy behind Hiryu's statement, but as a friend, he didn't want to push Hiryu beyond his comfort. Maybe he was too shy to share private matters. "I wish I could help, but I'm not good at giving relationship pointers. You should talk to Izuku Midoriya from Class 1-A. I heard he was really good at this stuff."

"Didn't Midoriya dump that Toga girl from 1-C?" Hiryu mused. Then suddenly his eyes bugged out. "Oh My God! You're trying to make me dump Akiho! I thought you were my friend?!"

"No! No! No! That's not what I meant!" Yosetsu waved his hands in panic. _Note to self: Do your homework, Dumbass!_ he said to himself. "No, I mean Midoriya is known for his advices. He was responsible for Kaminari – Ashido relationship, that's what I heard. I was just thinking, maybe he could fix you and Suzuki the way he fixed Kaminari and Ashido."

"I don't know him that well," Hiryu shook his head. "It'll make no sense if I ask him relationship advice. Besides, this is our mutual decision to be friends. There's nothing Midoriya can do about it."

Yosetsu knew Hiryu was lying. Hiryu was visibly hurt. But it was Hiryu's problem, and if he didn't want to share it with him, then there was nothing he could do to change it. The best thing he could do was to be a good friend. "Well, Rin, if you need anything, I'm here for you."

"Much appreciated," Hiryu got up and dragged his feet to the elevator. "Good night, Awase,"

"Good night Rin," Yosetsu watched him until Hiryu got into the elevator. He felt bad for his friend, but Hiryu didn't want help, so he would just leave Hiryu alone. He had more important things to do, like asking Backdraft for a few days off, buying round-trip ticket to Hamamatsu, looking for lodgings, packing 'protections'…


	14. Chapter 13

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I just happen to have some free time this week.

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Retribution**

 _ **Act City Hall,  
**_ _ **Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **September 28**_

Chika still had the result from the first idol competition they performed at, 6 months ago. The faded paper showed Aqours at the last place of the competition, with no votes from the fans. It was a devastating blow for the aspiring idols from Uranohoshi High School. It was so debilitating that Chika cried in front of her friends. She was one who promised not to cry in front of everybody, but after that competition, she broke her promise.

Nevertheless she kept that paper as a motivation. She looked at it every night. And now in the advent of their performance in the regional preliminaries, she couldn't stop looking at it, wondering if they would end up with the same result.

Much had changed since their first competition. They were stronger, more mature, and more prepared. The first competition was a tryout. This one was business. They prepared hard for it. Yet, this time they didn't have Riko, the best musician in the group. And even though they made adjustments to their composition, Chika couldn't help being nervous. They placed last with Riko the first time. How far would they go without her?

Outside, the thunderous cheers marked the end of the performance of the idol group right before Aqours. The event organizer gave them signals to get ready. The other members of Aqours shook their hands and legs to get loose. Chika still sat on the corner, staring blankly at the paper.

"Come on," Kanan called for her. "It's show time."

Chika put the paper in her bag then followed Kanan to regroup with the rest. She stretched her arms and shook her head to loosen up. On their way to the stage, they crossed path with the previous group. Each members smiled and high-fived each other, celebrating the job well done. Chika tried not to get it under her skin, but half of the Aqours stopped and observed the other group, wondering if they deserved to celebrate like that.

"Guys, guys, don't worry about them," Chika rounded up the stragglers. She understood that some of the Aqours still carried the trauma of their first competition. She could not let it affect their performance, not in a critical even like this preliminary. "We have our own way. We do this for our own shining, and for Riko. She is not here, so don't let her be disappointed in us. Let's go, for Riko!"

"For Riko!" Yohane screamed.

"For Riko!" everybody else followed suit.

"Alright, bring it in," Chika extended her arm. "Sunshine on three. One… Two… Sun…"

"Shine!" the girls burst into enthusiastic response. They lined up at the stairs as the MC read a few announcements.

"And now, from Uranohoshi High School, Numazu… Aqours!" the MC announced.

The audience cheered when Aqours took the stage. They looked like a sea of glow sticks from the stage. Chika paused for a moment, feeling the energy surging through her veins. It was just a preliminary, but she felt like she could take on the finals right now. She took a deep lungful breath, then belted out her line

 _Omoi yo hitotsu ni nare  
_ _(omoi ga hitotsu ni naru toki)  
_ _Kono toki o matteita_

The heartfelt piano sonata, pre-recorded by Riko before she left for her piano recital, gradually picked up speed then turned into furious guitar tremolo. Riko's absence was not felt anymore, as everybody sang and danced in perfect harmony. The audience exploded, energized by the 8 girls on the stage. The hall shook with music and roars. There was nothing holding them back.

And it just happened in the middle of the song, when Kanan and Mari took center, Chika spotted a particular headband in the crowd. She could spot that headband – and the guy attached to it – anywhere in the crowd because they did not match. She knew, because she bought it. He still looked stupid in it, which was even stupider since he was waving a glow stick like an idiot. And suddenly, she felt warm. Nothing would matter anymore.

Alas she had to turn, and when she faced the audience again, she lost track of him. She made sure she looked at his general direction when she delivered the song's final lines:

 _Nanika o tsukamu koto de (yume ni mo iroiro aru kara)  
_ _Nanika o akiramenai (sou desho?)  
_ _Omoi yo hitotsu ni nare  
_ _Doko ni itemo onaji ashita o shinjiteru  
_ _Daiji na yume ou toki daiji na hito ga wakaru  
_ _Omoi wa hitotsu da yo to (wakarunda omoi wa hitotsu)  
_ _Chigau basho e mukau toshitemo shinjiteru (shinjiteru kara)_

The song ended, but the audience kept thundering, even louder than the rock fans at Yoyogi Park. The girls ran down the stairs and hugged each other. Some cried, others couldn't stop screaming. It was arguably their best performance so far. If they still didn't make it, then at least they could be proud of what they did.

The preliminaries went on with more idol groups from all around Shizuoka Prefecture, but it was the end of the show for Aqours. Chika switched to her t-shirt and cut-off jeans, wiped her makeup, and wore her birthday gift, the hair bow Yosetsu bought her at Tokyo. She left a smidgen of blusher to make her cheeks look extra juicy, watched herself in the mirror for a few minutes, then walked out of the dressing room.

"Chika-chan, you missed something, _zura_ ," Hanamaru noticed the blusher and tried to wipe it off.

"No, no, no, I'm fine," Chika gently set Hanamaru's hand aside.

"Looks like she found somebody she likes in the crowd," Mari teased her.

"It's not a big deal," Chika said nonchalantly. "I just like to wear it a little while."

They reached the end of the corridor and Yosetsu was waiting at the door. He still had his glow stick, and he waved it as soon as he saw Chika, which made him look completely ridiculous.

"Him?!" Mari realized what was going on. "The Handy Manny from Yoyogi Park?"

"Where have you been, Mari?" Kanan teased her. "He is the theme of all bedtime conversation with Chika for the last 3 months. Yosetsu this, Yosetsu that…"

"No, that's not true!" Chika blushed and started pushing her friends away. "Go, go, get back to the hotel! I'll catch up with you later!"

"How late should I wait for you?" Dia joined in.

"Don't bother. She'll join us at the train station tomorrow," Kanan winked knowingly.

" _Kimoiii!_ Gross!" Yohane and Ruby cringed.

"Are you talking about sex?" You asked innocently.

"Get off! Get off, you animals!" Chika started to push his friends around vigorously. "Leave me alone!"

The girls left in cacophony, still trying to embarrass Chika, but she paid no attention to them anymore. She walked toward Yosetsu, smiling wide. "You made it!"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Yosetsu said. "You were fantastic. All of you did great."

"I just hope the juries and fans think the same way," Chika took out the result from the first competition. "Look at this. This is the result from our first competition. We thought we did well, but we placed last with zero votes. And that was with Riko."

"You should see yourselves and how you ignited the crowd. Only three or four groups got response from the audience as wild as yours. The others were just… you know, meh. I honestly think you aced this prelim."

"Thank you," Chika bowed her head. "Thank you for coming. And supporting. I know you're busy. It means a lot to me. Next time you have a performance, I will come and cheer for you."

"Well, what do you do on Culture Day?" Yosetsu's eyes twinkled.

"As far as I know, nothing. I need to ask Mari for sure. Why?"

"UA High School will hold a Cultural Festival. Each classroom has to prepare an exhibit. You could come and have fun at my school. My classroom will perform a play."

"A play? What's it about?"

"It's a completely original super special fantasy play. The title is 'Romeo, Juliet, and The Prisoner of Azkaban: The Return of The Kings'."

It took a while for Chika to calm down from an uproarious laughter. "Oh gosh, that is wild. Anyway, what will you be?"

"I can't tell you. You have to come and find it out yourself."

"Alright, alright, I'll think about it," Chika wiped the tears in her eyes. "What else is there?"

"Beauty pageant…"

"Ooh, I love beauty pageant! What else?"

"Remember Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu? Their class will have dancing session with live music."

"Oh, I love that! I think I'm sold. But I have to see if I am not needed that day."

"Alright then, let me know," Yosetsu grinned from ear to ear. "Now, should I walk you back to your hotel, or should I find some place where we can eat and catch up with each other?"

"Depends on what you're offering," Chika winked.

"Mediterranean?"

"Sure! Lead the way!"

"You know, there is a place in Musutafu called Olive Sunrise. It's the only Greek restaurant in town," Yosetsu said as he led Chika out of the building. "If you visit my school, I'll take you there…"


	15. Chapter 14

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I haven't watched the anime show (I only watch their music clips). From what I read in Love Live wiki: Aqours' path is never easy. But these girls are close to superhumans in terms of not giving up. They get knocked down many times, but they always find a way to beat the count.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Leap**

 _ **Takami Abode,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **October 10**_

"Chika-chan! Your friend is here!" Mito Takami, Chika's elder sister, screamed from the dining room.

" _Haaii!_ " Chika ran from her room to the dining room. You Watanabe was playing with the Takami's pet dog, Shiitake. Chika's father was cooking, and her mother was setting up the table with Mito's help. Chika's eldest sister, Shima Takami, was making salad with her _bishonen_ boyfriend Yuki.

"You-chan, we'll have dinner in 20 minutes," her mother said. "It's an honor to have you as our guest."

" _Domo arigato_ , Takami-sama, but I had dinner already," You politely replied.

"You need to accompany Yuki so he doesn't feel too feminine among girls," Mito blurted.

Chika and You burst into uncontrollable giggle while Shima shot a nasty stare at Mito. Yuki walked away from the dining room and sulked.

"Shut up Mito!" Shima snapped. She followed Yuki to the living room. "Don't listen to her!"

"Mom, we'll be down for dinner, but now we need to do something," Chika said and grabbed You's hand. "Come on, You-chan, let's go to my room." She dragged her best friend to her room upstairs.

"What is so important at this time of day, Chika-chan?" You tried her best to keep up with Chika on the stairway. "I don't feel comfortable coming to your place at dinner time."

"I need your help," Chika replied as she stepped into her room. All her clothes were scattered on the floor until there was no more space to walk. "I don't know what to pick. I want to look fresh and sporty, but I don't want to look cheap, or… you know, slutty. You have a better perception of fashion than me. Help me pick up some clothes to bring to Musutafu."

" _Kiyaa, maji de?!_ Are you serious about this?" You covered her mouth in disbelief. "Chika-chan, you're going to spend some time with a guy. Alone! Far from anybody who can give you help! Are you not worried that he will take advantage of you?"

"He's not going to do that…" Chika took a deep breath. "All this time we spent together, he always treated me with respect. Besides, I'm going to UA High School. It's a school for Pro Heroes. Wouldn't you think it's the safest place in the entire Japan?"

"I'm worried about you. Please consider asking Shima and Yuki to come with you. At least you have somebody that's you can trust."

"Yuki-chan is a wimp. Shima will end up taking care of me and him. It's not fair for her. Besides, if something happens to me, Yuki won't do a thing. The quickest help I can get is probably… _him_."

"Chika-chan, tell me the truth," You held Chika's arm. "How serious are you with him?"

"I don't know," Chika tossed some clothes and sat on the floor. "What is 'serious'? Like Shima-and-Yuki serious? I don't know, I haven't thought that far. I like him. He's a great guy. We talk to and text each other every day. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel special, and warm, and needed. I feel closer to him than to my own sisters. Is that what we call 'serious'? Maybe. Do I see my relationship with him like Shima and Yuki? No. Do I want it to be? Maybe yes, maybe no. I know I make you even more confused, but that's what I'm feeling right now."

"Chika-chan, do you think you are…" You sat next to Chika, "… in love with him?"

Chika pulled her knees to her chest. "I uh… honestly I don't know. I've never felt this way before."

"I am worried that you are falling for somebody that does not return your feeling. I don't want to see you get hurt," You wrapped her arms around Chika. "Men don't see relationship the same way as women."

"He never told me how he felt about me. We never talked about feelings. We talked about our lives, our dreams, our struggles. But I can see that he's excited to talk to me, just as much as I am."

"What did your parents say about this?"

"I told Mom about him. I didn't go into much details, but I told her how we met, how we keep in touch, and how he supported me on both live performances. She took it lightly. Perhaps she didn't think I was too serious. Dad, as busy as he was, asked a lot of questions about him. I tried not to go into specifics, but I told him that he was a Pro Hero in training, went to an elite Pro Hero school at Musutafu, and had an internship with local fire department. I tried to boost his credibility in front of Dad. Dad never tells me what he feels about him, but if he's OK with Yuki, then I don't see why he's not OK with my guy."

"Yuki is too wussy to hurt Shima. Your guy lives in a violent world. He is trained to hurt people whenever the situation calls for it. He can, and he may, hurt you."

"I understand your concern," Chika leaned on You. "But I feel like I've known him for a long time. He is not going to hurt me. On the contrary, I feel like I can take shelter in him, and he will always be there for me."

You sighed in defeat. "I will help you pick your clothes. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything," Chika replied, "to the best of my ability."

"Promise me that you won't do anything stupid," You looked at Chika in the earnest. "Promise me you will always have your guards up. You just go to Musutafu, have fun, and come back home. Do not give him anything that he can use to hurt you. Keep in touch, and talk to me before you say or do anything."

"My own mother's not as fussy as you," Chika chuckled lightly.

"You are my friend, I care about you," You replied, a little irritated that Chika didn't take her seriously.

"I am grateful to have a friend like you," Chika nodded courteously. "I promise I will not give him any opportunity to take advantage of me. I promise to talk to you before I do something."

"And don't forget to bring protection."

Chika gave You an austere stare. "What do you think I will be doing at Musutafu?"

"No, no, not that kind of protection." You pulled out a pepper spray from her pocket. "Mace. It's the most popular self-defense system for girls. It's easy to use. Just pop the cap and mash the trigger. Aim it at the face to get maximum result."

"Where did you get this?" Chika's eyes widened with awe.

You shrugged. "I went out with a _yandere_ before. He wouldn't let me go. I told him that I would use it if he didn't go away."

"I think I remember that incident," Chika rested her head on You's. "Thank you for being my friend."

"Chika-chan! Dinner!" her sister Mito yelled from downstairs.

"We have to eat before we do clothes," Chika got on her feet and dragged You again. "Let's go downstairs. Dad's _udon_ is the greatest!"

"Chika-chan, I already ate," You complained.

"You don't have to eat. Just sit by me and watch Mito-chan insults Yuki."

The two teenagers burst into giggles and walked together toward the dining room.


	16. Chapter 15

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Chika's friend did not understand the life of UA student. She was making generalization of high school boys (inspired by her own bad experience). Like you said, she would have different attitude if she hung out with UA students more.

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Excursion**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **October 30**_

The bus hissed to a stop in front of UA High School, and when the door slid open, the first one to step out was the orange-haired girl Yosetsu had been dreaming of for weeks. The cool afternoon fall breeze made her hair dance in the air. Her turqoise t-shirt and cutoff jeans made her hair stand out even more. She topped it off with a pair of flats and a leather sling bag.

Yosetsu thought he would pass out from sheer amazement.

"Welcome to UA High School!" he said as he bowed his head. "I'm glad you made it. How's the trip?"

"I'm glad to be here," Chika returned Yosetsu's bow, then observed the young man in front of her. He wore a simple white v-neck, doubled with a flannel short-sleeved shirt, and a knee-length short, with ankle-high socks and sneakers. "I enjoyed the train ride from Numazu to Musutafu. It's a nice coastal city. The hotel runs a shuttle to pick up and drop off customers at the train station. Everybody is nice and helpful."

"Nice to hear you're enjoying yourself," Yosetsu led her to the massive metal gate at the center of a seemingly endless concrete wall. "I hope you're ready for a tour. Let's start with this door. It is called UA Barrier. It opens only for faculties, staffs, and students. However," he pulled up a badge and clipped it on Chika's shirt, "I requested a visitor's pass for you. Now you can get in and get out anytime you want."

"Thank you very much," Chika looked at the badge for a few seconds, then followed Yosetsu toward the metal door. The door rumbled open and they were immediately greeted by twin glass towers. " _Sugoiii_ …" Chika said breathlessly. "What a nice school you have."

"This is the main office building," Yosetsu explained. "Admission, database, records, employments, tuition, campus security, everything was controlled here. This is also the office for the principal, faculties, and staff members."

"This building alone is the size of Uranohoshi High School," Chika muttered.

"As impressive as it may seem, there's nothing interesting inside. It's just an office building. There are more fun things to see, unless you really want to check out the cubicle farm inside."

"No, no, you lead the way," Chika smiled. "You're the tour guide."

"Alright then, let's go this way," Yosetsu took her to go past the classroom buildings, laboratories, gyms, and libraries, giving her a short description of the function and perks of each building. They were halfway around the campus when they arrived at the stadium. The outside track of the stadium was still littered by debris from the Sport Festival Obstacle Course last semester.

"What happened here? This looks like a war zone!" Chika cringed. "Robots? Mines? Bombs?"

"We held a sport festival a few months back. UA needs to clean this up, but apparently everybody is too busy. This stadium is the only UA property where people have access without special pass. There are doors on the other side of the building that allow spectators to come in to the stadium without having to go through the main gate. But they can't go to this side of the building."

"Interesting. What things do you do here?"

"Usually sport-related events. On rare occasion we do plays or concerts, but not very often."

"Is your class going to perform here?"

"Oh, no, no, Cultural Festival is not open to public. Speaking of Cultural Festival, it will be held mostly at the Student Centers right after the dorms. It's the most interesting part of the campus. We'll go there shortly."

They went around the stadium then arrived at a huge building complex. "This is Height Alliance, the dormitory for all UA students," Yosetsu said. "We experienced escalating attacks on UA students in the past few years, so the school boards decided to bunk students here to protect them."

"What a nice policy by the boards," Chika commented. "I wish Uranohoshi took ownership of its students as much as UA." She turned to Yosetsu, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Hey, I want to see your room."

"You've seen my room! I sent a picture of it a few weeks ago!"

"Yeah but it's just a snapshot of the exterior. I wanna see what you put under your bed…"

Yosetsu gave her a grim look. "Do you think I'm a pervert?"

"Come on, what's the harm in it?" Chika said playfully. "I promise, I won't say anything…"

"I don't think it's a good idea," Yosetsu bit his lips. A quick tour of his room might not be a big deal, but some fellow students from Class 1-A and 1-B were known to blow things out of proportion. At this stage of his relationship with Chika, he would rather stay under the radar. "Let's check out the Student Centers. Everybody's preparing for the Cultural Festival so you get to see some 'Behind The Scene' actions."

"Oh, alright," Chika faked a pout. "But you're not getting away easily."

Yosetsu ignored Chika's last comment and took her to the Student Centers. Students from all grades ran around the buildings carrying props and construction materials for their exhibits. The smell of spray paints was imminent. Here and there students argued about how a stand should be attached, or how some costume should be worn. It was chaotic, but the energy was uplifting.

"This is like a city of its own," Chika observed the activity enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see everything in full speed at the day of the festival."

"Yeah, everybody's been working hard to make his class exhibit the best show of the festival," Yosetsu stated. They walked past the auditorium where Class 1-A was rehearsing their dancing routine. "This is Class 1-A. Midoriya, Uraraka and Yaoyorozu will have a dance show with live music."

"That's an interesting number," Chika peeked through the open door. A few Class 1-A students started to look at her. Yosetsu grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the door. "Hey, what are you doing?" Chika griped. "I was enjoying that!"

"Class 1-A and 1-B are in a 'bogus' competition of being the best class of the 1st grade," Yosetsu explained. "If they see us, they might accuse us of stealing their ideas. So let's leave them alone."

"Huh, that's interesting," Chika muttered. "How about your stage? Can I see it?"

"I can let you take a look from a distance, but if I bring you close, my classmates will yell at me. We want the set to be a surprise."

"Weirdos!" Chika blurted, but she followed Yosetsu to walk around the auditorium to an open space. In the distance there was a stage with castles made from styrofoam. A dragon's head perked from behind the castle, watching the entrance of the castle in vigilance. "That looks like a Games of Thrones setting. Is that what the story about?" she chuckled.

"I can't tell you. You have to watch it yourself," Yosetsu smiled wolfishly. "Alright, let's get out of here before I get into trouble. Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink? The cafeteria is on the next building."

"Yeah, I wanna see your mess hall," Chika played along.

The two went to the cafeteria, which started to get full as it was getting close to dinnertime. Yosetsu brought Chika to meet Lunch Rush to see some snacks.

"First-time visitor, huh, Miss?" Lunch Rush greeted them as he observed Chika's badge. "The name's Lunch Rush. I make high quality food at dirt-cheap price. Everything here is made from fresh ingredients. No preservatives! I take pride in my service to UA High School. What do you like? Mexican? Italian? Japanese?"

"Oohh, oohh, _mikan_!" Chika ignored Lunch Rush and lunged for a bowl of mandarin oranges. "I can eat this all day!"

"That's it? _Mikan_?" Lunch Rush growled. "She passes my high-quality, fresh-cooked cuisine for a bunch of _mikan_?"

Yosetsu shrugged. "That's all she wants." He pulled a few yen from his pocket. " _Kakiguri_ and a bottle of water for me." He grabbed his food and proceeded to an empty table. "Is that enough food for you?" he asked as he passed the bottle to Chika.

"I'm not really hungry," Chika split the mandarin orange and greedily stuffed the segments into her mouth. "Oh… My… Gozh, dhiz iz a weawy good _mikan_ ," she said with her mouth full. "You know whad, Yozedzu-zhan, I am zhealous of you. Ouw wunzh ad Uwanohozhi iz nod zhis good…"

Yosetsu couldn't help laughing, watching Chika trying to speak and eat at the same time. He had seen her in full glory when she was performing on stage, but she never looked more beautiful than in her everyday outfit. She looked completely ridiculous with her ballooned cheeks, almost like a squirrel, but it was part of her charm. She was not afraid to do what she wanted.

"Well, well, well, Awase, what have you been hiding from us?" Neito Monoma, Sen Kaibara, Tetsutestu Tetsutetsu, and Jurota Shishida suddenly showed up and gathered around the table. "Don't keep good things to yourself! Come on, introduce us!"

 _Crap! Trouble!_ Yosetsu swallowed hard. He tried to play it cool. "Everyone, this is Chika Takami, my friend from Uranohoshi High School. She is visiting to see the Cultural Festival. Chika-chan, this is Neito Monoma, Sen Kaibara, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and Jurota Shishida. They are my classmates from Class 1-B."

" _Hajimemashite_ ," Chika nodded courteously. "Nice to see you all."

"So, Takami-san, how long have you been with Awase?" Jurota chuckled devilishly. "Is he, you know, any good?" Neito, Sen, and Tetsutetsu broke into lecherous chuckles.

"E-eh?" Chika didn't understand what Jurota was implying.

"Hey! None of your goddamn business!" Yosetsu tried to control the situation, but he was afraid the damage had been done. "She's my friend! Watch your attitude!"

"Oh, you're not dating her?" Sen Kaibara chimed. "If you're not dating her, can I ask her out?"

"NO!" Yosetsu yelled.

"Hey, I saw her first!" Tetsutetsu joined in. "Finder's keeper! I'll ask her out to Class 1-A dance!"

"Oh come on!" Neito moaned. "Be a man and avoid Class 1-A dance like a plague! Only losers go there!" He turned to Chika. "You like dancing? I'll take you to the best dance place in town…"

"Alright, shut up! Shut up!" Yosetsu started having headache. "She's not going anywhere! Now leave us alone so we can eat in peace!"

"No need to throw a fit, Awase," Sen Kaibara teased him. "We're just investigating a rumor…"

"What rumor?" the girls from Class 1-B suddenly appeared.

"That Awase had a secret girlfriend," Jurota grinned. "He's been denying it, yet here he is with his 'date'. We try to debunk the rumor but the sourpuss asks us to leave."

"I would have your company if you just stopped acting like idiots!" Yosetsu growled in frustration.

"Come on, guys, give them some space," Itsuka, the class president, said firmly. "I don't understand you boys. You never make a fuss about Kaminari-Ashido, Midoriya-Uraraka, or even our friend Yanagi…"

"That's because we don't make a fuss about those jokers from Class 1-A," Neito grinned conceitedly.

"Fumikage-san is no joker," Reiko Yanagi defended her guy. "He's a better man than you, Monoma."

"Can you _please_ take this conversation somewhere else?" Yosetsu uttered a painful groan.

"Alright, show's over, nothing to see here," Setsuna Tokage started dragging the boys away from the table. "Although I have to give it to Awase. His girl could pass for Chika Takami, you know, that school idol from Uranohoshi…"

"School Idol?!" Neito, Sen, Jurota, and Tetsutetsu looked at Yosetsu with eyes opened wide. " _How… Lee… Sheet_ , Awase, you do NOT deserve a school idol…"

" _Shinjirarenai!_ " Setsuna choked herself. "A-Are you saying it's Chika Takami… for real?!"

"What's for real?" suddenly Mina Ashido, Toru Hokugare, and Tsuyu Asui joined in. "What are you yelling about?"

"Awase's dating a school idol," Yui Kodai giggled.

"Really? Who?" Mina Ashido pushed her way through Class 1-B students until she had a good look at Chika. "Oh My Gawd… Aqours! I need to tell Denki-chan…" she reached for her phone.

"I need to update my list…" Toru Hokugare dug through her backpack and produced a pink diary.

"I need to have my butt-huggy signed!" Minoru Mineta came out of nowhere and broke through the crowd waving his underwear. "Takami-chan! My butt-huggy! Please sign my butt-huggy!"

" _Bakayaro!_ Mineta! Have you no shame?!" Yosetsu shielded Chika from Minoru's blind charge.

"Alright, back off, Class A!" Neito stood and drove the students from Class 1-A back. "Takami-san is for Class 1-B only. You Class 1-A clowns do not get benefit from Takami's visit. You just have to respect the fact that Class 1-B had expanded to the entertainment industry. We have the better show for the Cultural Festival, and the better celebrity chicks. Not that Class 1-A has _anything_ to offer…"

Neito never finished his sentence. Itsuka Kendo sneaked behind him and 'judo-chopped' the nape of his neck. Neito sloshed to the floor, mumbling incoherently.

"Sorry Class 1-A," Itsuka said. She turned to Chika, "Hi, I'm Itsuka Kendo, student president of Class 1-B. On behalf of Class 1-B, I welcome you to UA High School. I hope you have a good time visiting our school."

" _Arigato gozaimasu!_ " Chika smiled.

"Awase-san, please proceed to the workshop before the rest of Class A arrive."

" _Ryokai_ ," Yosetsu turned to Itsuka, mouthed a quick 'thank you', then grabbed Chika's hand and dragged her out of the cafeteria.

"Well that was…" Chika smiled, watching Yosetsu sweating and hyperventilating, "… interesting."

"I am so sorry," Yosetsu took a bow. "My friends said and did embarrassing things. I never said anything about our relationship beyond what we agreed upon. Please disregard everything they said. I think their adrenaline got the best of them."

"That's not a big deal. They're just… you know, 'quirky'. My friends are not that colorful."

"Your friends wrote music and performed at regional level with you," Yosetsu vented. "My friends bickered who gets the credit of your visit. Your friends beat mine by a mile in the maturity scale."

"Yeah, wait until they show their true colors," Chika scoffed. "Anyway, what's next?"

"We can see the workshop," Yosetsu regained composure. "But if you're tired, we can call it a day."

"No, I still have some juice left," Chika chimed eagerly. "Let's visit the workshop."

They left the Student Centers and entered another building that looked like a warehouse. The smell of grease and gunpowder greeted them as they entered the building. Various gadgets and tools littered the floor. A few tables were set up close to the walls. Some robots were stacked carelessly upon a big door at the back.

" _Sugoine_ …" Chika whistled. "This is definitely a man's playground…"

"Whoa whoa whoa, back off! This is a hard-hat and steel-toe zone!" a girl with pink locks appeared, startling Chika. She looked at Yosetsu for a while, trying to remember him. "Awase, right? What brought you here?"

"This is Mei Hatsume, our grease monkey from Class 1-H," Yosetsu explained to the frightened Chika. "Hatsume-san, this is Chika Takami, my friend from Uranohoshi, Numazu. She's here for the Cultural Festival. I'm giving her a tour."

"Aqours, right? I heard you passed the regional preliminary," Mei mellowed out. "Congratulations. Keep up the good work. I will root for you."

"So, Hatsume, can you show us a few inventions of yours?" Yosetsu said.

"Unfortunately everything's been lined up for the Open House on the Cultural Festival," Mei replied. "But I can show you my latest work. Come, watch your step. And don't touch anything."

Yosetsu and Chika tiptoed behind Mei to the next room. A massive humanoid robot stood in the center, suspended to the ceiling by chains. It carried a big-bore cannon on its right arm and a 4-pronged claw on its left. Two missile launchers were attached to its back, and rocket boosters were visible on its lower legs.

" _Are maaa_ … nice robot," Chika commented.

"It's actually a mechanized armor," Mei explained. "Kind of like Ingenium, but with more firepower. I got a laser cannon attached to the right arm, but I can also use heavy machine gun or missile launcher. The dorsal missile launchers can shoot either high explosive or armor piercing, depending on the situation. The claw on the left arm can tear any armor plating. And this suit can jump 90 meters. Unfortunately this design is only for large-sized operator. You know, like Sekijiro Kan, Class 1-B homeroom teacher. Even Tenya Iida would stand too small. My boss Power Loader wants to name it 'Elemental' because of its size. I don't like it. I simply call it 'Toad'."

"Toad?" Yosetsu cocked his brows. "What an intriguing name."

"Hey, I designed it, so I can name it whatever I want," Mei replied. "Anyway, that's the only thing I can show you today. Other inventions have been stacked up for showing."

"That's alright, Hatsume-san, thank you very much," Yosetsu said. "We'll find our way out."

"Be careful, don't step on land mines," Mei quipped.

"You put land mines on the floor?" Chika gasped.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you. Go! Get out of here! You won't explode!"

Yosetsu smiled and led Chika out of the building. "What a character, don't you think?"

"She is well-developed for somebody her age," Chika snorted. She looked at Yosetsu with flame of jealousy in her eyes. "Do you come here often?"

"No, in fact this is only my second time. My quirk does not need extra gadgets so I don't have a reason to visit the shop," Yosetsu replied, completely missing Chika's jealous comment. "Anyway that concludes our tour. I'm thinking of taking you to Olive Sunrise, as promised."

"Can I take a rain check? My feet start to feel numb. I'd like to go back to the hotel."

"Oh, sure, sorry I lost track of time," Yosetsu forgot how far they had walked. "I'll go with you."

"That is not necessary, Yosetsu-chan," Chika said in the earnest. "You've pampered me enough. I can find my way back."

"Hey, I'm the host. I will make sure you are completely satisfied during your visit to UA High School."

"Alright, but only if you uh…" Chika stumbled upon her words, "… if you answer my question truthfully. How many other girls have you uhm… _entertained_ , this way?"

Yosetsu didn't really understand why it was important to Chika, but he was glad that he had the right answer. "No one else. You are the first and _only_ one."

" _Sou desu_ ," Chika dipped her head to hide her face, which had turned red as a tomato. She quickly turned around before Yosetsu saw it. "So what are you waiting for? Let's go! We should catch the early bus."

Yosetsu was happy to oblige.


	17. Chapter 16

**Review Corner**

 **The Colonel:** Yeet, Mon!

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I debated with myself long and hard whether I should use your Halloween theme or Cultural Festival from the manga. Unfortunately both take place at roughly the same time, otherwise I do both. The Cultural Festival wins out because Halloween is a 'western' culture, while Culture Day (of which UA Cultural Festival is celebrating) is a Japanese national holiday. Since this story is set in Japan and all characters are Japanese, it makes more sense if they celebrate Culture Day than Halloween.

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Stuck**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **October 30**_

It was late at night when Yosetsu returned to the dorm. His original plan was to take Chika to her hotel then left so she could rest. They ended up talking for several more hours, then had a late dinner at a nearby fast food place before he finally found the will to return to the dorm.

Yosetsu was exhausted and couldn't wait to go to bed, but as he stepped into the elevator, Hiryu Rin stepped out. The look on Hiryu's face made Yosetsu realize that he wouldn't go to bed anytime soon.

"I heard your friend came to visit," Hiryu said.

"Yeah, she has a few days off and her school doesn't have anything planned for the Culture Day, so she comes to visit our Cultural Festival," Yosetsu fought back a yawn. "She wants to see our play. It'll be interesting to see her reaction when she finds out about my role in the play."

"I hope you don't scare her," Hiryu smiled. "Kaibara said that she was an idol. Good for you."

"I uh…" Yosetsu wanted to tell Hiryu all about Chika but he wanted to be considerate. He still remembered Hiryu's not-so-lucky relationship with the freckled girl from Class 1-G, and he didn't want to sound like he was rubbing it in Hiryu's face. "You know, I guess it's just my luck. Who knows tomorrow it's your turn."

"I wish I can say the same thing," Hiryu's face turned dark, and his tune became somber. He turned around and started walking out of the building. "Good night Awase."

Yosetsu didn't know what he did wrong. He chose his words carefully, but he ended up hurting Hiryu anyway. He paused a moment to think of his action, but he couldn't think of anything that could trigger Hiryu's reaction. Either he was too tired to think clearly, or Hiryu had not moved on. And that could be a bad thing.

"Rin, wait!" He chased his friend to the door. "Did I remind you of something you try to forget?"

"What do you mean?" Hiryu stood dumbfounded.

"Dude, we may not hang out much but I notice how you change since the beginning of the second semester," Yosetsu said. "You never look happy, man. Little things like this make you sulk. Now if I overstepped, I sincerely apologize. But look at me in the eye and tell me there is nothing bothering you for the past 3 months!"

"Nothing is bothering me!" Hiryu looked at Yosetsu in the eye. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. The freckled girl from Class 1-G."

"We are friends. We had a summer fling but we ended it in good terms."

"Doesn't seem you are in good terms with it."

"Maybe you should back off," Hiryu turned defensive. "You have your hands full with your idol friend. Keep your eyes on her instead of me!"

"Alright, I will leave you alone, but I'm your friend. I don't deserve being shut out. Tell me what happens, and I promise you, I will not bring it up again, if that is what you want."

Hiryu looked at Yosetsu as if trying to decide if he should punch Yosetsu in the face or confide in him. His arms begin to develop scales as he activated his quirk, but he immediately turned it off. "You're a good friend, Awase. I was wrong to treat you like you're not."

"You have not moved on," Yosetsu stated. "Three months in denial is not healthy, Rin. We have to find a solution for this. I told you, I was here if you need anything."

"I love her, man!" Hiryu's voice trembled. "I love her to death! Have you ever met somebody that turns your world upside down, so much you would do anything, absolutely anything, just to be with her?"

It was an easy question for Yosetsu. "As a matter of fact, Rin, I have."

"And what happens if you can't be with her anymore? Wouldn't your life be miserable?"

Yosetsu tried to imagine how his life would be if he couldn't see Chika anymore, and he started to understand why Hiryu had been acting that way. "Yeah, well, I guess."

"Walk with me," Hiryu turned around and started dragging his feet. Yosetsu caught up with him. "Her father wants her to work in the hero business. He works 2 shifts so she can enroll in UA High School. She is afraid that she will disappoint her father, and bring shame to her family, if she fails. Not to mention if she gets… you know, pregnant. We were, uhm… you know, we couldn't get enough of each other. You know what I mean?"

"I hear you," Yosetsu nodded. "But seriously, have you heard about this thing called 'condom'?"

"I-I uh…" Hiryu stopped and scratched his head. "This is between you and me, Awase. If anybody knows about this, I will murder you!" He leaned forward far enough his head almost touched Yosetsu's. "I can't do condom. Condom makes me… _weak_." He backed up and started walking again. "Pills are expensive. And she didn't want to get it from UA. I got her pills from out-of-campus pharmacy and they syphoned my bank account like nobody's business."

"Gosh, Rin, you're deeper in it than I thought," Yosetsu sighed.

"Yeah, well, people do crazy things when they are in love," Hiryu scoffed. "That is another reason she wanted to be just friends. We can't afford to get pregnant, and we can't agree on 'protection'. Sounds silly, but I had to respect her comfort level."

"Does she feel the same way about you?" Yosetsu asked.

"I believe she does. Why?"

"Doesn't it bother you that she ended a relationship with a man she dearly loved, because she didn't want to disappoint her father?"

"I'm with you," Hiryu sighed exasperatedly. "Sometimes I felt she put her father's feelings before mine. It sucks to be the 'Number Two' in her life. But some people do regard their family with utmost respect. It might be her upbringing. I thought I'd just respect her."

"Alright, fair enough. If she's having financial hardship, she can try scholarship."

"She's quirkless. She won't be eligible for scholarship."

"Says who?" Yosetsu grabbed Hiryu's arm. "Has she ever applied?"

"I don't know," Hiryu shrugged. "We never talked about this before."

"If you love her that much, then find it out for her. Go to the main office and ask around. She already stays at UA, so her father doesn't have to finance her accommodation. If she can get a scholarship, her father doesn't have to pay for her tuition. That's a big relief for her family. Even partial scholarship will help."

"But where can I find scholarships for somebody without quirk?"

"I don't know. Just ask around. Somebody in the main office should know."

"Still, it doesn't mean we will get back together again."

"Rin, that is something for you and her to decide," Yosetsu exhaled. "I try to help you build the road. You decide if you're going to walk on that road." He took his headband off and combed his hair with his fingers. "Maybe you do need to talk to Midoriya. He's been fixing relationships all over campus."

"Oh no no no, please, leave Midoriya out of this," Hiryu quickly said. "Just keep this between us."

"Alright, just between us," Yosetsu nodded.

"I appreciate your concern," Hiryu patted Yosetsu's shoulder. "And I'm sorry for being a jerk. This is hard on me, so I misbehaved from time to time."

By that time they had walked far enough from the dorm. They were making a turn toward the Student Center when they spotted two shadows scurrying away from Class 1-B stage and disappeared in a dark alley.

"Hey, did you see that?" Yosetsu pointed at the figures. "Did they just come from our stage?"

"Looks like it," Hiryu cringed. "Are they one of us? Is somebody supposed to work on our props?"

"No, not that I know of," Yosetsu started to feel uneasy. "I'm going to check out the stage."

"I'm coming with you," Hiryu activated his quirk, and his forearms quickly grew scales.

The two Class 1-B students jogged toward the stage. It was dark, so Hiryu turned on the stage light. What greeted them was so heartbreaking they didn't move from their spots for a few minutes.

"Holy crap…" Yosetsu muttered breathlessly.

"Who the hell did this?" Hiryu moaned. "We must report this to Principal Nezu!"


	18. Chapter 17

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : maybe not at Ch.18 or 19, but we'll get there eventually.

* * *

 **Chapter 17: … Of Mice and Men**

 _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **October 31**_

It was way too early in the morning when Chika's phone rang. She painfully opened her eyes to find her phone and groaned as the clock showed the time. It was barely past 5. It was still pitch black outside. Chika was tempted to turn off her phone, but she saw the call was from Yosetsu. No matter how pissed off she got, she decided to take the call.

"Hey," she whispered drunkenly. "You really are a morning person, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry to wake you up, but I thought you should know," Yosetsu replied morosely. "Somebody vandalized Class 1-B props for the play."

" _Usso!_ Who would do such atrocity?" Chika immediately sprung from the bed.

"I don't know. I saw two guys running from our set yesterday. When I investigated with a friend, the set had been damaged. Some parts were stolen, others were just torn apart. And they spray-painted graffiti's all over the place. It's a complete mess. We still try to figure out what to do with it, but I just thought you should know that we might… may… have to cancel the play."

"Oh my…" Chika put her hand in her mouth. "But you worked so hard…"

"Yeah, just our luck," Yosetsu growled in frustration. He tried to sound composed but Chika could feel his anger bubbling up behind his voice. "I wish I could find those cowards so I could beat them up… or better yet, weld them to drums and throw them into the sea."

"Retaliation is not the answer to grief," Chika said slowly. She understood Yosetsu's frustration. He had been working hard for this performance, and to realize that everything would come to waste must be devastating. But indulging his anger would not get him anywhere. Chika knew Yosetsu was a resourceful young man, and if she could 'tame' his anger, she believed they could come up with something. They still had 3 days to figure things out. "Look, I'm coming over. Just don't do anything stupid."

"There's no need for you to come," Yosetsu groused. "Just stay at the hotel."

"Hey, I'm coming. I'll see if you need anything."

"Chika-chan, no disrespect to your courtesy, but this is not your responsibility. We'll get this."

"I'm coming. I'll meet you up at the stage."

"Chika-chan…"

Chika hung up and went to the bathroom. Her phone rang furiously, and she suspected Yosetsu would bear down his frustration upon her later. But she was prepared for it. Yosetsu played a big part in her confidence during the summer concert and the idol preliminary. Now it was her turn to play her part for him.

An hour later Chika arrived at UA High School and went straight to Class 1-B set. Yosetsu's description was not exaggerated. The styrofoam castle and dragon's head were shredded to pieces. The forest background was sliced and diced. Part of the structures for lighting was dismantled. Some spotlights were missing. And no stuffs from other classes were damaged, just the props of Class 1-B. It was clear to her that this was not a random act. The perpetrators obviously singled out Class 1-B by sabotaging its play for the Cultural Festival.

The question was: who held such grudge against Class 1-B?

As Chika wondered alone, she observed the people gathered around the stage. An anthropomorphic white mouse (or dog, or bear, or a combination of all three), a large man with fangs, and a muscular man with the head of a wolf were discussing the situation. The wolf-man sniffed the area, obviously looking for the 'scent' of the perpetrators. Yosetsu and his friends scattered around the stage, talking angrily among themselves. And then he saw her. The ember in his eyes told Chika that their immediate conversation would not be pleasant.

"How dare you hung up on me!" Yosetsu came and immediately dumped his ire on her. "You shouldn't have come! I told you, there's nothing for you to do here!"

"There are plenty of things to do!" Chika was not deterred. "We have 3 days to figure out what needs to be done, and if you keep festering in vengeance you will not go anywhere. So get yourself together and think."

"Listen to me, you…"

"No, listen to me, Yosetsu-chan," Chika stood her ground. Yosetsu might think he was the 'alpha' in their relationship because he was the Pro Hero and Chika was just a quirkless civilian, but she was not one to be downplayed. "I am here because I want to. I'm not here to catch the vandals, nor to rebuild your stage. I'm here for you. So don't tell me there is nothing for me to do, because it will hurt my feelings really, really bad."

Yosetsu looked at her as if he just got struck by lightning. His hostility faltered and his shoulder slumped. He dipped his head and spoke with much gentler tone, " _Gomen nasai._ I was… upset."

"Understandably so," Chika rubbed Yosetsu's arm. "Alright, let's calm down and think about this. Why would anybody want to do this? Do you have enemies? Somebody that wants Class 1-B to fail?"

"Enemies?" Yosetsu scoffed. "We have lots of enemies. You've met Mr. Personality over there," he pointed at Neito Monoma. "He's in a pilgrimage to humiliate Class 1-A. I can think of half a dozen Class 1-A students who want to sabotage our play, just to shut him up." He paused to think about his words, then realized he just made a terrible statement. "You know, that's very heartless of me to say those things. I'm sorry, I don't mean any of it."

"Perhaps we should turn our attention toward more rewarding subjects," Chika said. "How much damage do you have to deal with, and can we do it in time?"

Yosetsu let out a labored breath before observing the stage. "I can probably fix a few props, but the missing parts… we may have to buy those, and we don't have enough budget."

"How about stripping everything down, and just perform in a bare stage? I mean, you still have the stage. Can you use it to perform?"

"I don't know. The props are not just backgrounds. They are important parts of the play." Yosetsu scratched his head. "I mean, Kojiro Bondo operates the dragon. What is he going to do without the dragon? Oh, it sucks to have to adjust at the last minute."

"I know how you feel," Chika nodded. She was no stranger to adjusting routines at the last minute, the most recent of which was at the concert at Yoyogi Park, the day she met Yosetsu.

By this time Itsuka Kendo, Shihai Kuroiro, and Kojiro Bondo approached the couple. "Takami-san, I'm sorry you have to deal with this during your first visit to UA High School," Itsuka said. "This never happened before. Our principal is getting to the bottom of it. I hope you don't think less of us."

"Oh, no, misfortune happens," Chika tried to lighten up the mood of Class 1-B students, who were visibly stressed out. "Yosetsu-chan and I were just talking about ways to salvage your performance."

"Why don't we just resolve to play Harry Potter movies?" Shihai Kuroiro sneered. "Clean those crap up, raise a screen, bring in a projector, then play Harry Potter movies all day."

"Is that what you want, Kuroiro?" Itsuka shot a dirty look at her pitch-black classmate. "After all the time and effort you invested in our play?"

"What is there left for us?" Shihai replied curtly. "I am part of the SFX team. Now half of the props are gone. What else can I do? With movies, at least I can sell popcorn."

"I can sell tickets," Kojiro Bondo, the burly man with adhesive-tip head, added.

"Come on, guys," Itsuka groused. She had remarkable self-control, but her classmates' negativity started to wear her out. "Don't make this harder than it already is."

"Can we recreate the props?" Chika threw an idea.

"We have the manpower. We don't have the budget. The Department of General Education sponsored this festival. Each class was given some money to boost their performance. We exhausted our budget on props and costume. There is no more to spend."

"Just like I told you," Yosetsu tuned in.

"So where can you get money to buy stuffs?" Chika mused. "We still have 3 days until the festival. Surely there's something we can do to raise money. Sell snacks, make crafts, perform at public…" And then an inspiration struck her. "What if… What if Aqours perform to raise money?"

There was a minute of eerie silence before Itsuka finally found the drive to speak, "Uhm… _what_?"

"Yosetsu-chan showed me the stadium you used for Sport Festival," Chika went on a planning overdrive. "It is accessible to public. Aqours can use it to perform. We can sell tickets online. We only have 3 days so we'll sell the ticket cheap. Cheap ticket attracts students. We'll split the sales; you can use your part to buy whatever you can to fix your stage. Aqours may not have a strong fan base here at Musutafu, so don't expect to get overwhelming response, but whatever we can get within 24 hours should help you out."

"Awase, are you listening to this?" Itsuka shot a blank stare at Yosetsu.

"I am. I don't know if I want to believe it," Yosetsu replied dryly.

"Come on, Yosetsu-chan! You of all people have doubt in me?" Chika scowled playfully.

"Yeah but… how do you even get the other girls to agree to this?" Yosetsu muttered.

"That is mine to worry about," Chika replied enthusiastically. "I will try to convince them to come to Musutafu. This is a great event to practice for our upcoming Love Live qualifier, and they are not doing anything at Numazu, so you know… might as well perform at UA High School. If that doesn't work, they owe me. I submitted to their demand to perform at Tokyo last summer. Now it's my turn to pick our venue."

"So it's still not set on stone," Shihai Kuroiro mumbled. "Everything depends on how persuasive you are."

"True, but I need you to be on your toes," Chika explained. "I will Skype with the rest of Aqours, and if they agree, we'll set up an account and sell online tickets to schools around Musutafu. I will tell Yosetsu-chan how we do overnight. Whatever we get in 24 hours, I will transfer it to Class 1-B account. If everything goes as planned, by tomorrow afternoon you should have fund to buy stuffs. You should be ready to move by then."

"How about sound system? Lighting? Stage?" Yosetsu said. "Those who buy tickets want to get their money's worth. They want to see Aqours at its best. Three days of preparation may not be enough."

"Class 1-A will have a live band, won't it?" Chika responded. "Riko Sakurauchi is an excellent musician. She can do anything with a synth. All we need is the synth and speakers from Class 1-A. If those are not available, we'll sing _acapella_. Just buy me a portable party speaker and we'll be fine. For our stage, we can use your stage. After you finish your play, strip it down and bring it to the stadium. Wire it with simple lighting and you're done. You all have quirks. Moving a stage shouldn't be a problem for you guys. Right? Right?"

"There's still a problem with permission," Kojiro Bondo stuttered. "Principal Nezu may not agree to this."

"Leave him to me," Itsuka stated. "I'm the class rep. It's my job to represent Class 1-B in board meeting."

"So… are we all in one accord?" Chika smiled.

"That's mighty noble of you, Takami-san," Itsuka bowed her head. "Alright, let's do this."

"Alright then, let me return to the hotel to start things up. Let's hope for the best!"

"Spread the words," Itsuka told Shihai and Kojiro. "Our play is still on. We rally behind Aqours."

As his classmates dispersed, Yosetsu dragged Chika to the side. "What are you doing?" he spat.

"I'm helping you out, the same way you helped me out during the Tokyo concert."

"That's a totally different situation. I worked there. You do not work here. You're taking responsibility you shouldn't." He looked at Chika with worry and awe in his eyes. "You're here because of a promise I can't deliver. You should've been on a train back to Numazu by now."

Chika took a long, good look at Yosetsu as she recalled her friend You before she leaved for Musutafu: _Are you in love with him?_ She had been avoiding that question from everybody including herself, but the answer seemed to present itself even without the encumbrance of a question. Maybe she didn't need the question after all. Maybe she always knew the answer.

But she could not make it known to him. Not yet.

"Yosetsu-chan, remember that time at the concert? Your friend went missing? Your supervisor abandoned his position? You could've left us. You knew you wouldn't get paid, but you stayed with us until we finished our performance. I asked you why you did it, but you wouldn't give me a straight answer." Chika leaned forward, smiling. "Now I know the answer."

Yosetsu looked at her the way he never did before, sending chills down her spine. He took a step back and fidgeted as if trying to determine what to do with himself, but in the end he bowed his head. " _Arigato gozaimasu_. You have no idea how much this means to us."

" _Dooitashimashite_. Now go to class. I can find my way out."

Chika waited until Yosetsu disappeared behind the Student Center before going back to her hotel.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Sing**

 _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **October 31**_

When Chika asked to have a Skype conference from Musutafu, the rest of Aqours knew she up to something. They just didn't realize the magnitude of her plan.

"You want us to perform in 3 days? Chika-chan, you're nuts!" Kanan was still trying to make sense of Chika's plan. "We only have 2 days of practice!"

"And you're over there at Musutafu," Dia added. "You can't expect us to practice for 2 days without you then perform live with you in front of wild audience! Didn't our debacle at Tokyo teach you something? I took it upon myself that we were almost mugged by rock fans. Now you're suggesting that we do it again!"

"I don't ask us to perform like the prelim last month," Chika explained. She knew her idea would meet harsh resistance. "I've seen the stage. It could barely fit us nine. Added to that instruments, sound systems, mics, lightings, and we wouldn't be able to move. Forget dancing. Let's just sing. Sing our hearts out."

"What would Aqours be without dancing?" Mari snorted.

"Then what's next? Spelling bee competition?" Dia was obviously bitter toward the idea.

"The audience will boo the crap out of us!" Ruby chimed in, driven by her androphobia.

"No they won't! Listen, I've been here for 2 days. Some of them were fans of Aqours, and were excited to meet me. They were just students like us. Fun people to hang out with."

"Maybe they're just paying homage to your 'boyfriend'" Yoshiko blurted.

"Is this about _him_ , Chika-chan?" Riko asked. "The 'Handy Manny' from Tokyo?"

"It's uh…" Chika paused to compose herself. Riko brought up a serious allegation: Was Chika using Aqours for personal intention? She knew she had to choose her words carefully. Otherwise the trust among them would be broken. "Yes, it's about him. Yosetsu-chan invited me to see the Cultural Festival at his school. He and his classmates are scheduled to perform in a play. But last night his stage was vandalized. They can't perform without props. They don't have time to make new ones and they don't have money to buy replacements."

"That's terrible, _zura_ ," Hanamaru commented.

"So I thought, how about we lend our hands?" Chika continued. "We can hold a concert and sell tickets. We split the sales, so we got something out of it too. In the morning we can enjoy UA Cultural Festival. There are some interesting exhibits on display: live dance, haunted labyrinth, ethnic food and beverages, and many more. If Yosetsu's class can get its props back, we can watch his class perform a play, which according to him, very good."

"I'm still trying to find my place in all of these ideas, Chika-chan," Kanan said skeptically. "I mean, I don't know anybody at UA High School. I'm not interested in another school's Cultural Festival. And speaking of Cultural Festival, a lot of people will visit my diving shop. I am needed here. I make more money assisting customers than singing at Musutafu."

"If I didn't know you better, I would've thought you're making use of Aqours for personal gain," Dia added.

"Guys, I know my idea sounds selfish," Chika took a deep breath, and prayed that she did not accidentally betray her friends. "But have we forgotten what he did during the concert at Tokyo? Did you know that he wasn't paid for what he did? His manager abandoned him. He could have left us. But he didn't. You know what would've happened to us if he did. Now he is in a serious trouble, and I just want us to be grateful we had somebody like him when we needed it the most."

"Chika-chan, answer me something," Mari said. "Is that what you are trying to do? To pay our debt? To honor his selfless act? To help somebody in need? Or is it your effort to impress him? To make him worship you as the greatest girlfriend he can ever find?"

"Mari-chan, I will not deny that my intention is tainted by my feelings. I like him. I…," Chika choked, trying to hold back tears. "-I love him. At this moment he really, really needs help. I'm not doing this to impress him. I'm doing this to help him, to make him happy, to put smile in his face. But you don't have to like him to help him out. Do this because you want to make a miracle. Do this because this is what you are: good people that care about others in need, and always ready to lend hands when others won't."

The Skype chat session went ghostly silent for a minute. Everybody went into soul searching and tried to make sense of her reasoning.

"I'll go," You finally broke the silence.

"Shouldn't we talk about this more?" Yohane said.

"No, listen to me," You replied. "When has Chika-chan ever done something selfish? When Riko-chan had a piano recital at Tokyo, she was the first one to encourage her to go. When Kanan-chan and Mari-chan had a disagreement, she was the first one to find solution for them. She always puts people's need ahead of hers. Who are we to question her motivation? We should have known her motivation. And she's our friend. Let's back her up."

"Alright, I'll go," Riko added. "I don't have anything to do here anyway."

"I'll go, _zura_ ," Hanamaru tuned in.

"If she goes, I'll go," Ruby backed up her BFF. " _Ganbaruby!_ "

"Alright, alright, why don't we all go?" Kanan relented.

"What about your diving shop?" Mari asked.

"Grandma will figure it out," Kanan replied with a shrug. "I want to be with my friends."

"I'll go," Dia followed suit. "Yohane, are you in or out?"

"I'm in," Yohane didn't want to stay behind. "Hopefully there's a dark goth handsome guy to make it interesting."

"Thank you guys, this means a lot to me," Chika smiled. "Now we need a few things to set this up. We need to advertise tickets. Somebody needs to update our website. Say something like 'Aqours Live Concert at Musutafu, ticket sale 48 hours only' or something like that."

"On it," Yohane said.

"Target high schools around Musutafu like Ketsubutsu Academy or Shiketsu High School. I'll send you the links. Since we don't have much time, sell the tickets cheap to attract students."

"What do we have on site?" Riko started taking notes.

"We have a stage, but like I said it was not big enough to move around. This will be a strictly singing concert. Yosetsu's neighbor class will do a live band. His friends are trying to borrow a synthesizer and sound system from them. You may have to play and sing on this one."

"Not a problem," Riko scratched a few notes.

"If that doesn't work, he's going to buy a portable party speaker. We'll sing acapella."

"That is way too discreet for my taste," Kanan tuned in. "But we've never done acapella before. Maybe it's worth a try."

"If anything, it'll improve our harmonization skill, _zura_ ," Hanamaru added. "I sung acapella in my church's choir. It was a lot of fun, _zura_."

"Costume?" You chimed in.

"Nothing fancy. Maybe just regular clothes. We're not dancing, so there's no point in dressing up."

"What songs do you want us to sing?" Dia produced a notebook of her own.

"Something we already know by heart. Aozora Jumping Heart, Yume de Yozora o Terashitai, Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare, Mijuku Dreamer… we have to have Mijuku Dreamer. There are some 'power' couples at UA High School that would love to dance to Mijuku Dreamer."

"Yay for Mijuku Dreamer!" Mari yelped. "Are you going to dance with _him_?"

"No! I'm going to sing with you guys!" Chika blurted.

"Just checking if your 'allegiance' is already switched," Mari teased.

"Maybe next year Chika will join UA High School idol group," Kanan followed suit.

"Guys, come on, I'm for Aqours," Chika put a pillow on her face to hide her blushing. "Thank you for doing this. Words can't express how grateful I am to have friends like you."

"You'd do this for everyone else," You replied.

" _Domo arigato gozaimashita_ ," Chika said sheepishly. "Oh, and one more thing. Riko-chan, I have a personal request for you."

"As long as I can do it, Chika-chan," Riko stated. "What do you need?"

"I need you to learn a very, _very_ special song for me…"


	20. Chapter 19

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I think you know what it is. When it is time, you're going to say "I knew it!"

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Come Together**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 1**_

It was early in the morning, and Yosetsu was still half awake when his phone rang.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Chika's cheerful voice filled his ear. "You have a busy day ahead of you."

"Good news, I presume?" Yosetsu tried to get a grip of the situation. "Tickets sale good?"

"See it for yourself," Chika said, almost at the same time as a familiar 'ding'.

Yosetsu scrubbed his eyes before opening the text attachment, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. " _Chikuso!_ Half? Half of the tickets in 8 hours?" He shot up to sit in his bed, trying to make sense what was going on. "How did you sell tickets so fast?"

"Divide and conquer," Chika replied with a slight hint of smug in her voice. "There might not be a strong fan base for Aqours at UA High School but it is not the only school around Musutafu. Each of us takes one high school and advertise heavily, targeting student's online forums, posting walls, and shout boxes. We can talk about this later, but I believe you have a mission to accomplish."

"Right," Yosetsu jumped off the bed and texted Itsuka Kendo 'We're ON!' His phone rang 5 seconds later. "Kendo's on the other line. I have to take her call." He was about to hang up when he remembered something. "Chika-chan, thank you. Thank you very much. I really appreciate your kind attention."

"You'd do the same," Chika replied. "Now go. Don't forget to send me your bank account."

"I'll ask Kendo which one she wants to use. _Ja ne!_ " Yosetsu hung up on Chika and accepted Itsuka's call. "They did it, Kendo. They got the money in record time."

" _Yooshi!_ I texted everybody to meet in our classroom 30 minutes before class begins," Itsuka replied. "We have a lot of work to do."

"I'll be there." Yosetsu jabbed the hang up button and quickly ran to the shower.

Half an hour later Yosetsu joined his classmates in the classroom. The ambience was uplifting; gone was the somber mood of 20 young Pro Heroes that couldn't use their quirks to save their performance, replaced with cheers and hopes of a better tomorrow.

"Alright, everybody listen up," Itsuka took control of the situation. "We have given a second chance. We have fund to replace our set, courtesy of Aqours. Now we have 48 hours to buy materials and repair our set."

"I know a manga store at Tokyo that sells movie props," Manga Fukidachi stated. "It might not be the same as what we made, but rather than spending time remaking the props, I'd say we just buy new ones."

"Good thinking, Fukidachi," Itsuka snapped her fingers. "I want a 6-man Shopping team to go to Tokyo to buy props. Fukidachi, take point. You can pick your team members."

"Cool!" Manga Fukidachi chimed. His head changed shape to resemble a heart. He elbowed Togaru Kamakiri who stood next to him. "I gotta pick my team members, man! How cool is that?"

"Meh," Togaru huffed. "You just happen to hang out with other comic-book geeks."

"Chika wants a bank account to transfer the money to," Yosetsu said. "Should I give Fukidachi's?"

"That would be great," Itsuka replied. "Fukidachi, coordinate with Awase and Aqours."

"Yowzah!" Manga Fukidachi punched the air. His head changed again to a scream bubble. "Got my own team and my own account set with extra money! This is the best day of my life!"

"Bring all receipts to me," Itsuka continued. "Next, we still have the vandals running around free. They may take a shot at Aqours. I don't want to take any chances. I want an Escort team to protect Aqours during the Cultural Festival." She looked at Yosetsu. "Awase, you know Aqours more than anybody else in this school. You take the lead on this one. Take 3 or 4 guys to help you out."

"Yes Ma'am," Yosetsu nodded.

"The rest of you, you're the Sweeping team. I want you to clean up our old stage and get it ready for Fukidachi's new props. Rin, you're in charge. Communicate with Fukidachi on what he needs and try to provide them as best as you can. I want everything ready to go by noon tomorrow, so we have 12 hours to rehearse with the new props. I don't want any surprise during the show."

"Got it," Hiryu Rin said assuredly.

"I have to talk to Principal Nezu to get permission. You are all Pro Heroes. Act like one, and I promise you, everything will be fine. See you in class."

As Itsuka walked out of the classroom, the students tried to divide themselves into 3 groups. It was supposed to be an easy job. But without Itsuka Kendo, even the simplest task turned into catastrophe.

"I want Bondo, Shishida, Tetsutetsu, Kodai, and Shiozaki on my team!" Manga Fukidachi proclaimed.

"Hell no! I'm not going to Tokyo to go shopping!" Jurota Shishida snarled. "I wanna be in Awase's team!"

"Me too!" Kosei Tsuburaba tuned in.

"Me too!" Neito Monoma added. "I wanna see the faces of Class 1-A jokers when I walk with Aqours!"

"Stop calling Fumikage a joker!" Reiko Yanagi yelled.

"None of you are going on my team!" Yosetsu grumbled. "I need responsible guys, not horny imps!"

"Hey, Bondo is in my team!" Hiryu joined the ruckus. "Cleaning up old stage needs strong men!"

"So does carrying props from Tokyo to Musutafu! Bondo stays with me!" Fukidachi replied.

"Who's better in shopping than girls?" Setsuna Tokage joined the fray. "Kodai, Shiozaki, Komori, Tsunotori, and myself! We should be on the Shopping team!"

"No! I want to be in Awase's team!" Kinoko Komori whined. "I wanna meet the real idols!"

"After I get Bondo…" Yosetsu stated.

"What do you need Bondo for?" Hiryu snapped. "All you need to do is to babysit a bunch of school idols! That's not a job for Bondo! Komori can do that!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kinoko Komori turned to Hiryu. "I am no babysitter! I am a Pro Hero capable of defending myself! That's why I need to be on Awase's team! Aqours need a Pro Hero like me!"

"Alright, fine! You go with me!" Yosetsu massaged his temple.

"Good! Then Bondo stays with me!" Hiryu said firmly. Then he lowered his voice and leaned toward Yosetsu. "I wish I could have you on my team."

"I wish you could be in mine," Yosetsu replied. "Are you OK with this?"

"Oh yeah, totally. Working hard takes my mind away from Akiho. I need this to get her out of my head." He tapped Yosetsu's shoulder. "Thank you for looking after me."

"The service not free," Yosetsu shot a playful smile. "You have to pay. Give me Bondo."

"Not a chance, dickhead!" Hiryu shoved Yosetsu's shoulder, and the two shared a hearty laugh.

The clamor at Class 1-B attracted a few Class 1-A students. Ochaco Uraraka, Kyoka Jiro, Mina Ashido and Tsuyu Asui perked their heads from behind the door. "What on earth is Class B doing?" Ochaco muttered. "Usually they are not this loud."

"Looks like Kendo is not around," Kyoka Jiro suggested.

"Hah! Figures!" Mina Ashido scoffed. "We always thought they were more organized. It turns out without Kendo they're just a bunch of wild animals."

"Like we are without Iida. Ribbit." Tsuyu Asui added.

Meanwhile Sen Kaibara approached the overwhelmed Manga. "I took pictures of the old props," he said as he showed Manga some pictures on his phone. "You can use them as a guideline of what you need to buy."

"Well well, this is how you apply for a position… with evidence of competence!" Manga put his hands on Sen's shoulder. "Would you like to join my team?"

"I'd be glad to," Sen smiled.

"That leaves me, Kodai, Shiozaki, and Tsunotori," Setsuna said, smiling.

"Actually I want to be in Awase's team too," Pony Tsunotori said solemnly.

"What? You don't want to shop with us?" Setsuna's smile quickly disappeared. "Tsunotori-kun?"

"One of Aqours, Mari Ohara, is an American. I want to meet her. It's been a long time since I met another American."

"Good! Then I'll take Tetsutetsu in Tsunotori's place!" Manga said excitedly.

"Like hell you will!" Tetsutetsu growled. "I'm not going shopping with girls!"

"Then who wants to come with me to Tokyo?" Manga started to get frustrated.

"I'll go with you," Reiko Yanagi volunteered.

"No offense, Yanagi, but we'll carry heavy loads from Tokyo to Musutafu, and I need some real manpower. I want Bondo, dammit!"

"Bondo stays with me!" Hiryu bared his teeth. "Look, Yanagi offered help. Take her."

"I want a dude!" Manga snarled. "I got 3 girls already! Tsuburaba? Honenoki? Kamakiri? Shoda?"

"Alright, I'll go with you," Kosei finally agreed.

"Great! Team Fukidachi, let's talk about our plan of attack!"

"Team Fukidachi?" Setsuna scoffed. "Why Team Fukidachi? You don't know squat about shopping!"

"Kendo promoted me to be the captain of the Shopping team, so it's Team Fukidachi!" Manga beamed. His head changed shape to an icicle bubble. "If you have a problem with that, take it to Kendo!"

"Awase, Fukidachi doesn't want me, and I don't want to be in the same team with Monoma," Reiko Yanagi came to Yosetsu. "He keeps badmouthing my boyfriend Fumikage. Can I join your team?"

"Sure, Yanagi, you can join my team," Yosetsu nodded. "I can take one more."

"Hey, get Shoda," Pony Tsunotori suggested. "He's a few Class 1-B boys that don't act like idiots."

"Good point," Yosetsu agreed. "Hey Shoda! Come with me!"

"Sure," the chubby Nirengeki Shoda walked toward Yosetsu. "I am ready to serve!"

"Just take it easy now, we don't start until Aqours arrive. I'll ask Chika-…"

"By _Hachiman_ , what the hell is going on here?!" suddenly Sekijiro Kan, Class 1-B homeroom teacher, thundered into the classroom, followed by Itsuka Kendo. "I can hear your noise from the next building! Now shut up and sit down!"

The students immediately scampered toward their desks and sat straight. Itsuka rolled her eyes and shook her head as she followed Sekijiro Kan. As Sekijiro ranted and raved about honor and responsibilities, she calmly sat on her chair and stole glimpses at Yosetsu and Hiryu. They gave her a small nod and a thumbs-up, letting her know that despite the unexpected havoc, they got their jobs done.

* * *

Later that day, Itsuka attended a meeting with Principal Nezu, Sekijiro Kan, Shota Aizawa, and Toshinari Yagi to ask permission to use the stadium for Aqours performance. For an unknown reason Aizawa brought Tenya Iida and Momo Yaoyorozu with him. While being glad that the meeting would include students, Itsuka couldn't help feeling outnumbered by Class 1-A.

"An idol concert?" Principal Nezu leaned on his chair. "Here? At the end of Cultural Festival? Wouldn't it steal the thunder of the festival?"

"I don't think so, Nezu- _sensei_ ," Itsuka replied. "Cultural Festival is for UA students only, except a few invited guests. Aqours concert is open for public. People that bought tickets do not know anything about our Cultural Festival. Also, Cultural Festival ends at 5. We can set Aqours concert at 8, so students can attend both."

"Who would attend a concert with such short notice?" Toshinari Yagi tuned in. "Wouldn't it be a slap in everybody's face if UA holds an empty concert?"

"At this moment, Aqours already sold half of the stadium capacity," Itsuka pulled out her phone to show a screen shot of ticket sales sent by Chika. "It may not be a full house, but it will not be an empty stadium, Sensei."

" _Shinjimae!_ " Tenya Iida whispered.

"Why are you doing this, Kendo?" Shota Aizawa asked. "Are you trying to raise money for your damaged play set? Why didn't you ask UA General Department if they have extra money?"

"I did, Aizawa-Sensei, and they didn't. This is the only chance we have to save Class 1-B performance."

"Yes, but an idol concert?" Principal Nezu got up from his chair. "We have not supported this kind of activity before. We don't have experience handling musical shows, let alone audience from outside UA."

"Our Sports Festival is open for public, is it not?" Momo came to Itsuka's defense.

"That's a different matter entirely," Toshinori Yagi brushed off Momo's remark. "How did you get this idea in the first place, Kendo?"

"I didn't, Yagi-Sensei," Itsuka let out a sigh. "One of Aqours came to visit our Cultural Festival as a guest. When she heard about our misfortune, she offered help by holding a charity concert at the stadium. They will split the sales from the tickets. I just… I just grabbed the opportunity, Sensei."

"So this idol group, who we have never heard of, came out of nowhere at the right time and offered you help?" Shota Aizawa mused. "Sounds too much of a coincidence, doesn't it, Kendo?"

"I don't know, Sensei, but that's how it goes. We had a chance to fix our problem, and we just took it. I have a team that's on the way to Tokyo to buy movie props. We can bring our stage back by tomorrow afternoon, and Class 1-B will perform at the Cultural Festival as scheduled. This is made possible only by Aqours charity concert, so we need access to the stadium for the concert."

"If Class 1-B is allowed to hold Aqours concert, other classes will get jealous," Tenya Iida spoke up. "Why is Class B allowed to have 2 projects while other classes are only allowed one?"

"This is not Class 1-B project. We do not hold Aqours concert. They do this on their own."

"Yeah, but other classes will see it differently. Aqours hold a concert to raise money for Class 1-B, so it's Class 1-B project. Half of Class 1-A will go on a riot if they know about this."

"We may have a way to get around it," Momo suggested. "Do Aqours have accompaniment, Kendo?"

"I don't know. I don't deal with Aqours."

"Class 1-A has a live band. We can play for Aqours. Maybe the General Education classes take part in security. The classes from Support take part in lightning and sound system. The classes from Management can do water and snack. Everybody takes part in this concert. So instead of Class 1-B project, we can say that this concert is everybody's project."

"Damn, Yaoyorozu, that's a good idea!" Shota Aizawa proclaimed.

"All we need to have is the access to the stadium," Momo said. "Nezu-Sensei, can we get the access?"

"I honestly do not like this idea," Principal Nezu said firmly. "However, all of you coming together to help friends in need, that is what being heroes is all about. That's what I expect from my students. Alright, you can have the stadium. I'll tell Present Mic to set up the sound system."

" _Domo arigato gozaimasu_ ," Itsuka bowed politely. She shot a grateful look at Momo, "Thanks for having my back!"

"You owe me one," Momo winked in response.

"Alright, get out of my office!" Principal Nezu blasted the door open. "Come on! Out! Out! Out!"

As Kendo walked out of the office, Sekijiro Kan tapped her shoulder. "Well done, Kendo. Very well done."

"Thank you, Sensei," Itsuka replied with a smile.


	21. Chapter 20

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I may interpret the personalities of Aizawa and Yagi wrong, but from I read in the manga Aizawa is harsh to the students. Yagi is more lenient, more like a father figure, but still harsh to Izuku (well, as a father you have to be harsh to your kids, otherwise they will grow up as assholes). I admit I took too much liberty portraying Nezu. He doesn't appear a lot in the manga.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Bust**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 1**_

It was a familiar scene for Yosetsu: it was late afternoon, the sun was setting, the bus from downtown Musutafu squealed to a stop in front of UA High School. The door rumbled open, and Chika hopped to the sidewalk. Her smile lit up his heart, washing away all the troubles of the day. This time, though, she was not alone. One by one the members of Aqours stepped out of the bus and congregated behind Chika. Yosetsu was not alone, either. His Escort team was with him, waiting to greet their guests.

" _Sou da ne_ ," Chika said with a wide grin. "We are Aqours! I'm Chika, you've met me before. This is Kanan, Dia, Hanamaru, Ruby, Yoshiko, Mari, You, and Riko."

"Yohane! Call me Yohane!" Yoshiko blurted.

" _Hajimemashite_ , ladies," Yosetsu bowed his head, followed by the rest of the Escort team. "Welcome to UA High School. On behalf of Class 1-B, thank you for doing this. Before we get in, we need to go over a few safety precautions. As you may have heard from Chika-chan, we have vandals at large. So we five are in charge of your safety. You know me, I'm Yosetsu Awase. This is Nirengeki Shoda, Pony Tsunotori, Reiko Yanagi, and Kinoko Komori. We will escort you while you are within UA property. You can go anywhere inside UA, but make sure you go with one of us. Don't wander around by yourself. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but with recent attack on our properties we don't want anything bad happens to you. Safety is our primary concern.

"Here is your visitor passes," Yosetsu handed in badges to the girls. "With these passes you can enter UA High School anytime you like. Some places might be inaccessible but you will have all access to the fun parts. Just remember to go with any of the Escort team."

"Can I show them around? I'd love to show them around!" Chika said.

"Knock yourself out," Yosetsu replied, smiling. "Just don't make them too tired. Class 1-A band is waiting for you guys to practice for the concert."

"Don't worry, Kanan-chan makes sure we are in top condition," Riko said. "We don't run out of breath that easy. Well, maybe Hanamaru over there…"

"Torture, _zura!_ " Hanamaru hissed.

"You need to shed more fat, Hana!" Kanan pinched Hanamaru's waist from behind.

"I am good, _zura!_ Get off me!" Hanamaru flinched and ran away from Kanan with a red face.

"They're so adorable," Kinoko Komori leaned at Reiko Yanagi. "I wish I could join Aqours."

"Can you sing?" Reiko replied halfheartedly. "I've never heard you singing."

"You bet I can! I just don't do it in public."

"So where have you been singing?" Reiko looked at Kinoko with great interest.

"You know, heh heh… shower," Kinoko hid her blush behind her long bang. "But I'll do it in public if opportunity presents itself."

Meanwhile, Pony Tsunotori approached Mari Ohara. "American?"

"Italian American," Mari replied, beaming wide. "Yourself?"

"100-percent Omaha beef!" Pony said while extending her hand for a handshake, as opposed to Japanese customary bow. "Pony Tsunotori, nice to meet you!"

"Mari Ohara!" Mari grabbed Pony's hand in a warm handshake. "How did you end up here?"

"I'm an exchanged student. You?"

"My dad manages hotels. His hotel chain has one property at Numazu."

"That is cool! It's so great to meet another American here!"

"I know, right? How long have you been in Japan?"

As Pony and Mari chattered, Nirengeki Shoda pulled Yosetsu aside. "Awase, you know them, right? Do you know if the red haired girl with pigtails is uhm… you know, taken?"

"Who? Ruby? I don't know. Why do you ask?" And then, he realized that the answer was perfectly clear. "So, you have set your eyes on Ruby, haven't you old friend?" he said teasingly.

"Hey, hey, ssshhhtt!" Nirengeki pulled Yosetsu farther away from the group. His face went red with panic. "I just think she's really cute, man! With your permission, I would like to be Ruby's personal escort. I will keep her away from harm with everything I have! My Twin Impact will be her shield!"

"That's fine by me, Shoda, but she has _androphobia_ ," Yosetsu replied. "Don't spook her, alright? We have enough controversies leading up to the Cultural Festival. The last thing we want is Aqours pulling out of this event because they don't feel safe around us."

"I swear I will treat her with respect," Nirengeki said proudly. "You can count on me, Awase."

"I know I can. That's why I hand-picked you," Yosetsu tapped Nirengeki's shoulder. "Now let's regroup with the others. We don't want to lose them."

Chika took the Aqours on a short tour to see the stadium, where they would perform in 2 days. Then she took them past the dormitories where they had a quick meet-and-greet with fans, then to the Student Center where they stopped by Class 1-B stage. Manga Fukidachi's team just returned from Tokyo carrying movie props, and they quickly joined forces with Hiryu Rin's team to install the props on the stage. Itsuka Kendo explained that Aqours' concert gave Class 1-B a chance to rebuild the stage, and gave them a sincere gratitude for their effort.

After the tour Chika took them to the auditorium where Class 1-A band had been waiting for them.

"Come in, Aqours, don't be shy," Kyoka Jiro invited them. "I'm Kyoka Jiro, I'm the front girl of Class A band. I sing lead vocal and play bass, but for the concert I'll just play. That's Katsuki Bakugo on drum, Denki Kaminari on rhythm guitar, Momo Yaoyorozu on synth, and Fumikage Tokoyami on lead guitar."

" _Sugoooiii neee…_ " Yoshiko whispered breathlessly as she saw Fumikage. "So… _kawaiiii_ …."

"Chika and I met a few months ago at Tokyo," Momo walked toward Chika. "I heard you visiting. I'm sorry I haven't had the time to meet you, we were busy practicing for the Cultural Festival."

"I heard you playing. You guys are awesome!" Chika chimed. "This is Riko Sakurauchi, she is Aqours' composer and musical 'director'. She will tell you what you need to play."

" _Hajimemashite_ , Class A," Riko bowed politely then pulled up some music sheets from her satchel. "Most of our songs have simple I-III-IV-V progression with different riffs for intermezzo, so you can play them very easily. Chika-chan said we won't have enough space for dancing, so we picked slow to mid-tempo songs that we are familiar with. Nothing too fast."

"This is despicable," Katsuki groaned from the back. "First we use our talent to indulge other people's crap, now we play lullabies with a bunch of quirkless civilians…"

"Bakugo, you're not the only one that plays drum," Kyoka snapped. "If you don't like it, you're welcomed to step down. We'll find somebody to fill the position." She turned to Riko. "Sorry. We mostly play hard rock. Some of us are not excited to play soft J-Pop."

"Mijuku Dreamer is a rock ballad," Riko said, seemingly unaffected by Katsuki's foul comment. "When we get to that, I'll let you play your best rock riffs. But I need you to play other songs too. Let's start with this one: Yume de Yozora o Terashitai…"

* * *

The unfamiliar, 'alluring' voices coming from the auditorium drew Minoru Mineta like a moth to flame. He had heard the Class 1-A band played, and this was not it. This one was different. It was slower, softer, more relaxing, and the vocal was more… sensual than Kyoka Jiro's raspy screams. For Minoru, it sounded like the voice of a Nymph who invited unaware travelers to come to water. Only in his case, he invited himself to the Nymph's realm, giving up his life for unadulterated bliss.

Minoru tiptoed toward the auditorium and carefully stuck his head between the doors. What greeted him inside almost drove him over the cliff. Chika Takami and eight girls that he had never seen before harmonized their angelic voices, singing beautiful chorus from heaven, accompanied by none other than his classmates Kyoka Jiro, Katsuki Bakugo, Denki Kaminari, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Fumikage Tokoyami. His immediate reaction was of rage. Why wasn't he informed, let alone invited, to this event? He met Chika before, but he didn't know that she was going to bring friends. _Very hot_ friends. How could they leave him behind?

When his anger subsided, he observed the girls. Chika was hot, but compared to these girls she was mundane, so Minoru set her aside for the moment. The one with the long purple hair had such beautiful voice, obviously the most gifted singer of the bunch. The one with dark blue hair in ponytail had the best body, almost like YayouMomo but with smaller racks. The two with brown hair were so cute he could sink his face in those cheeks. And the one with long black hair had such authority that he was willing to give himself up as her 'slave'.

And before he knew it, his hand involuntarily crept inside his pants.

"Oh My God, you are all gifts from heaven!" he chuckled himself. "Oh yeah, come to me Babies!"

Suddenly he heard somebody coming. He didn't want to get caught with his hands inside his pants, so he jumped to a nearby bush. The vegetation covered his small stature perfectly just as two guys arrived at the auditorium. They took a peek through the door, observing the practice from the dark.

"What is this now?" one of them croaked. His raspy voice was laden with hatred. "The hero guys are having another show?"

"Why are they getting so much slack from the school?" the other one groused. "It's not enough that they already have one project for Cultural Festival, now they're allowed to have this?"

"Because they're heroes!" the first one snarled. "They're the face of the school! They get preferential treatment because they are born with superpowers! Other quirkless students are nothing but cash cows. Just look at this! Cultural Festival is for UA students only! Those girls are not UA students! Yet they're here and perform because they're somehow associated with the hero classes! Class A and B sicken me!"

"What do you want to do? Pull the fuse? Cut the strings? Slit the drums? What?"

"Nah. We can't stop them. Look at Class 1-B. We already put their stage out of commission but the school gives them more money to buy new stuffs. They will perform regardless of what we did. We're fighting the school system, not just the heroes. We need to do something that even UA is powerless to fix…"

Minoru immediately knew who they were. He heard what happened to Class 1-B, and here he was, sitting in a bush with the vandals less than 10 feet away from his position. He couldn't see their faces from behind the bush, so he didn't know who they were. He had two choices: to keep hiding and save himself from trouble, or to confront them and risk getting beaten up by two bigger guys. The first choice was easier, and he hated Neito Monoma. But the second choice offered him an unprecedented reward.

 _If I catch these vandals, those girls will see me as a true hero_ , he thought. _Then my nights will not be lonely anymore!_ The more he pondered, the more he leaned toward the second choice, to the point he ignored his common sense. He jumped up from the bush, activated his quirk, and threw sticky balls from his head in rapid successions, screaming, "GRAPE RUSH! Take this, Suckers!"

The two vandals never had a chance. Before they realized what was happening, Minoru's sticky balls peppered their bodies from every direction. Their hands and legs were immobilized. They writhed and squirmed, but Minoru's sticky balls wrapped around their bodies like unbreakable chains. They tumbled upon each other, trapped in a heap of sticky balls.

Minoru stood by the two guys and shot a wolfish smile. "You're going down, bastards, and they're gonna christen me the hero of the Cultural Festival!" He dragged the heap into the auditorium, screaming from the top of his lung, "I got them! I got them vandals!"

The music immediately stopped. Yosetsu's team quickly barricaded Aqours, while Class 1-A band dropped their instruments and rushed toward Minoru, except Fumikage, who chose to stand by Reiko.

"What the hell happened, Mineta?" Denki blurted. "Who are these guys?"

"These are the vandals of Class B property! I heard them talking about it and planning another attack! Now they are going to sabotage Class A music instruments!"

"What?! That's a lie!" one of the vandals tried to break loose, but Minoru's sticky balls held him in place.

"Shut up, asshole!" Minoru kicked the guy around. "I heard you loud and clear!"

"Does anybody know who they are?" Momo asked. "Are they UA students?"

"Nagai and Kotani from Class 1-D," Kyoka Jiro replied. "I saw them distributing leaflets about preferential treatments at UA High School, and how the Hero Department took all the glory while the rest of the students were forced to support it. Basically they were spreading anti-hero propaganda."

"You claim yourselves as heroes, but matter of fact is you deserve nothing as such!" one of the vandals growled. "You're just juvies with superpowers! Many of General Department students deserve to be in the hero course more than you!"

"Ah, so everything is all about jealousy," Denki scoffed. "Gotta love high school!"

"Yeah, and I caught them!" Minoru punched the air. "I solved the case! I am the Savior of Cultural Festival! I am a true hero of UA! Plus Ultra!"

"Hero my ass!" Katsuki groused. "You used your quirk against quirkless students. What a disgusting way to declare victory! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I solve a crime for the school!" Minoru fired back at Katsuki. "What have you ever done for your school, you hypocrite? All you do is complaining!"

"Alright, enough! We don't need to hear this!" Momo stepped in. "Where is Rikido Sato? Somebody find Sato! Tokoyami, can you call Sato?"

"Right away," Fumikage pulled his phone and called the muscle man, who arrived at the auditorium in less than a minute.

"Sato, take these guys to Principal Nezu's office!" Momo said while calling another number. "Kendo, it's Yaoyorozu. Mineta caught the creeps that vandalized your props. Sato is on his way to bring them to Principal Nezu's office. I think you wanna be there." She conversed with Itsuka Kendo briefly before hanging up. "Mineta, you go with Sato. Principal Nezu might have questions for you, since you're the one who caught them."

"Justice will be served, and I'll be cool with the ladies!" Minoru chuckled victoriously. He turned toward Aqours. "Ladies, I am Minoru Mineta, the Fresh-Picked Hero Grape Juice! As you can see, I just defeated a couple of insidious, dangerous, lethal villains in a fight to the death! I'd like to share my 'heroic accomplishment' with you. Five o'clock tomorrow, in my room…"

"Go, Mineta! Get out of here!" Kyoka pushed the little guy. "Or I'll call Asui!"

"Chalk up another kill for the Fresh-Picked Hero! Plus Ultra!" Minoru hoped like a little child as he followed Rikido Sato dragging the two vandals.

"Alright, show's over, let's get back to practice," Kyoka said. She turned to Riko. "Sorry you have to see that, but that's our daily life. Nothing to worry about."

"That's uh… fascinating," Riko chuckled nervously. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Are those guys trying to harm us?" Ruby asked fearfully.

"No, nothing is going to happen to you," Nirengeki quickly replied. "Those guys are gone. They won't bother you anymore. You can go back to practice with confidence. I will be here for you."

"Wow, _arigato_ ," Ruby smiled sheepishly, then went back to formation.

As the musicians returned to their stations, Chika approached Yosetsu. "So, the little guy caught the perpetrators. That's good news, right? That means we are not in danger anymore, and you don't have to be on your toes all the time, right?"

"I don't know," Yosetsu shrugged. "Kendo should be on top of things. We should hear from her in the morning." He gave Chika an assuring smile. "I will not let anybody to hurt you. Now go on, your friends are waiting."


	22. Chapter 21

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I actually like Mineta. His quirk can be very useful in emergency situations.

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Shadow**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 2**_

It was still early in the morning when Principal Nezu's voice thundered across the school through PA's.

"Students, as some of you may have heard, the culprits of the heinous vandalism that affected one of the stages for UA Cultural Festival had been detained. During investigations they confessed that they committed the offense because they were not satisfied with the school systems. While we understand that UA school system is not perfect, it does not justify what they did. There is a proper channel to express concern or dissatisfaction of school system. UA High School sees vandalism as high crime punishable by expulsion. Therefore, as of 8 o'clock this morning, the two perpetrators are no longer students of UA High School."

"Well, now that the vandals have been expelled, we can drop our guards and enjoy the festival without worrying too much," Chika said after the announcement ended. "Don't you agree?"

"I think," Yosetsu replied. He turned to Itsuka Kendo who stood next to him. "What do you think, Kendo? Should we just disband my team so everybody can have fun?"

"Uhm… let's not," Itsuka cocked her eyebrows. "I want to be sure nothing happens to our respected guests. True, those vandals are out, but that doesn't mean Aqours are free from distress. Think of Mineta. Somebody has to keep him away from Aqours."

"Yeah, you're right," Yosetsu sighed.

"I'll be busy for the beauty pageant, so you're on your own for a couple of days. But I trust your judgment," Itsuka started walking away. "Talk to Rin if you need more men. He should be done with his job by noon."

"Kendo's going to the beauty pageant?" Chika asked as Itsuka left.

"Yes, she is a contender for this year's Miss Con," Yosetsu nodded. "She's going against a tough competition, but I hope she gets support from all first-year classes. It may sway the judges to her favor."

"Hmm, I'll make sure I see her," Chika said. "Hey, do you think I can borrow Class A's synthesizer? Riko-chan and I have need to work on something before the concert."

"I don't see a problem with that, but we have to ask Class A band member," Yosetsu replied. He held Chika's hand and led her to the auditorium. The Student Center was frantic. Students from all classes ran around the complex, trying to fine-tune their class's project. They went past Class 1-B stage and it looked like the vandalism never took place. The props were all in place and Hiryu's team was making sure everything worked the way it should.

Yosetsu didn't expect to see Momo at Class 1-B stage, but she was there, talking with two strangers while working on a lightings structure. Curious, he approached the group, and as he got closer, he recognized one of the strangers as Pyrrha Nikos, Momo's partner at the Tokyo concert. He had never seen the other bloke, a tall guy with blue eyes and messy blonde hair who looked like a typical 'prince charming' from children fairy tales.

"Nikos-san, nice to see you again," Yosetsu said. "Are you helping us too?"

"Momo invited me to see your Cultural Festival," Pyrrha chimed. "She told me about the vandalism, so I thought I'd ask my _hunstmen_ friends to lend a hand, and to enjoy the festival. Good to hear those losers are kicked out of school. Momo talked to your friend Hiryu Rin about helping out, he said we could work on this lightings structure." She turned to Chika. "Takami-san, always good to see you. It's been a while since Tokyo, isn't it?"

"Pyrrha-chan, _hajimemashite_ ," Chika brought forth her wide smile. "I see you bring a friend?"

"Yes, this is Jaune Arc, my _huntsmen_ team lead," Pyrrha introduced the blonde guy. "Jaune, these are Yosetsu Awase and Chika Takami, friends of Momo's."

" _Hajimemashite_ , Arc-san," Yosetsu and Chika gave the blonde guy a slight bow.

"Well I'll be," the blonde guy called Jaune replied, walking pretentiously toward Chika. "I thought I just died, because I swear I'm looking at an angel."

Yosetsu and Chika could only stare blankly at Jaune.

"This is… awkward," Jaune cringed and scratched his head. "This has never happened before."

"This is Japan, Jaune. That crap doesn't work around here," Pyrrha sneered.

"Oh, ha ha… well then, _kawasaki sanyo casio toshiba_ , _amigos_!" Jaune chuckled nervously then returned to the post he had been working on.

Yosetsu shot a dumb stare at Momo. "What just happened?"

"Jaune was flirting with Chika," Momo tried unsuccesfully to stifle her giggle.

"Oh, really? That was flirting?" Chika muttered obliviously.

"Should I be… uhm…" Yosetsu leaned toward Momo, "… concerned about it?"

"With that pick-up line? Pffttt…" Momo waived him off.

"Jaune is still working on Japanese culture, even though we've been stationed at Okinawa for a while," Pyrrha added, smiling. "I promise, there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, I hope you guys have fun. I know I am," Chika said. She turned to Momo, "Yaoyorozu-chan, could I borrow Class A's synthesizer for a while?"

"That's actually my own synthesizer, so as long as we don't use it to practice, you can. But we need it at noon to practice for Class A's performance, and again at 5 to practice for Aqours concert."

"So we have about 3 hours?" Chika pulled out her phone. "I'll ask Riko-chan to come."

"Come with me to the auditorium, I'll open the door for you," Momo gave Pyrrha a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't wander around. I'll be right back."

"I can carry the synthesizer somewhere so we don't disturb Class A's settings," Yosetsu offered.

"Uh-uh, no, you stay here and help Pyrrha and Jaune," Chika unexpectedly refused.

"And why can't I watch you practice?" Yosetsu felt somehow strange about Chika's behavior. She never ordered him around like that before. It was as if Chika was hiding something.

"You're a guy," Chika shrugged. "I just thought you're more useful here than in the auditorium. After all, this is your stage, isn't it?"

"Well, alright, fine," Yosetsu decided he would give Chika the benefit of the doubt. "But when I'm done, I'll go straight to the auditorium."

"Sure," Chika stuck her tongue at him, then went with Momo.

"Alright, strong guy, come and be useful," Pyrrha teased him. "We've been struggling to reinstall this lighting structure. Maybe all we need is an extra hand."

"Sure," Yosetsu smiled bitterly and grabbed the free end of the structure. It was of a tripod shape about 10 feet tall. He could see why Pyrrha and Jaune were struggling. For some reason the 3 legs did not fit well to the stands. With Pyrrha at one leg and Jaune at another, they could attach 2 legs but the remaining leg would be grossly misaligned. They needed Yosetsu to align the legs and attach it to the stands simultaneously, at the same time.

"Guys, we need to push this thing a little further at the same time," Pyrrha said. "Altogether now, push!"

All three pushed the legs of the structure inward and they slid easily into their stands.

"Hah! Perfect!" Jaune declared victory. "Now we need bolts. I'll handle this. We don't need three guys to bolt the three legs to its posts, like we mounted it on the stands. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, unlike Pyrrha's rich girlfriend over there..."

"Three?" Pyrrha suddenly froze, as if something spooked her. "Three?!"

"Yes, that's right, three," Jaune jabbered. "You, me, and our new friend Yosetsu. We could've done it earlier with Momo but I guess she was worried to get her french nails chipped."

Pyrrha ignored Jaune's jabs at Momo and grabbed her phone. "Momo, get back here! Quick!"

"What do you need Momo for? The job is done! We don't need four guys to bolt this structure!" Jaune kept blabbering. "Or do you want her to do the bolts so we can leave?"

Momo arrived before Jaune made another comment. "How do you kids live without me?" she quipped.

"Look, this structure is not perfectly lined up with its supports," Pyrrha explained. "Jaune and I couldn't reinstall it. We needed Yosetsu to line up all legs together and put it in the stands. Now, is the process of dismantling the structure a mirror image of the install procedure? Can 2 guys dismantle it?"

"Technically yes," Momo pondered. "But they had to bend one leg. If they don't, they have to use force, and the third leg will be damaged…" She stopped, then looked at Pyrrha in the earnest. "Oh My God!"

"Are you suggesting…" Yosetsu started to see where Pyrrha was going.

"… there's a third guy," Momo covered her mouth with her hand. "This is a three-man job. Only two have been expelled from UA…"

"… the third one is still around," Yosetsu winced. "Holy shit!"

"So you think there's a third vandal?" Jaune tuned in. "Why didn't the other two say anything?"

"Fear. Loyalty. Best friends forever. I don't know," Pyrrha muttered under her breath. "But I know one thing: for the two vandals not mentioning the third guy during investigation, even in the advent of being expelled, he must be very intimidating, or very smart."

"Which makes him extremely dangerous," Momo added. "And he's still here, inside UA."

"Why did he want to do this in the first place?" Jaune mused. "If he's that strong, why vandalism? That's a job for juvenile delinquents, not a supervillain."

"That's another point," Pyrrha continued. "He was smart enough to set things up so when the two vandals were busted, he was not implicated. But he didn't cover up his track. It is as if he wanted to be found." She let out a long breath. "My take? The vandalism of Class 1-B property isn't just a hate crime. The guy is sending a message."

"But to whom?" Yosetsu asked incredulously.

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Pyrrha replied.

"The only despicable student of Class 1-B is Neito Monoma, but I doubt anybody would go through these meticulous planning just to get him," Momo went into deep reckoning. "There should be someone in Class 1-B that trespasses against this very devious student, so the guy sends a message in a way that only he can understand."

"I don't think anybody in Class 1-B is smart enough to decipher this message," Yosetsu said. "Well, maybe Kendo. But who did Kendo piss off? She's the nicest, most responsible student in our class!"

"I don't know, Awase. Maybe Kendo did do something terrible," Momo replied exasperatedly.

"You know what's not terrible? Report this to the police!" Jaune interjected. "Have them solve the case, put the guy in jail, then everybody lives happily ever after!"

"That's actually a terrible idea, Jaune!" Pyrrha sighed. "We don't have a name. We don't have a face. We don't even know whether our analysis is accurate or not. All we have been doing is just brainstorming."

"If he is meticulous enough to avoid getting sold by the other two vandals, he must be meticulous enough to shield himself from the police," Momo added. "Reporting him to the police, or even the principal, will only expose ourselves. Then he'll retaliate, which will be bad for us if we still don't know who he is. No, stay low for now. Just open your eyes for clues. And don't tell anybody." She turned to Yosetsu. "Keep Chika out of this."

"Alright," Yosetsu nodded. "But if somehow she gets pulled into this mess, then I'm gonna tell her everything so she can defend herself."

"Fair enough. I'm gonna get Midoriya and Uraraka into this," Momo continued. "We need their quirks, and we can trust them."

"So, the five of us Tokyo survivors, again," Pyrrha remarked. "What about the two vandals that were kicked out of school?"

"I don't know yet, but they are out of our reach," Momo scratched her head. "You're the only one that can get close to them, so whatever we decide, you have to do it."

"Alright, Sweetheart, I'll be your eyes and arms outside UA," Pyrrha said. "Let's wrap up and return to our things before somebody notices we have been chatting for too long."

"I'll go back to the auditorium," Momo stated. "See you around."

"I'll go get drinks," Pyrhha went the other way.

"I'll go back to my bolts," Jaune added. "Wait, I don't have bolts yet. Somebody please get me bolts!"

"I'll go get them," Yosetsu said. "They're in the supply room. I'll be right back."

"Well well, looks like I'm stuck here by myself," Jaune said, just as Yui Kodai walked by him. "Hey there, cutesy! Do you have any band aid? I scrapped my knees falling for you."

"If you're hurt, you need to see Recovery Girl. Her office is near the UA Admission Building." Yui pulled out a piece of paper and drew a map. "Here, I hope this helps." Then she left Jaune dumbfounded.


	23. Chapter 22

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** Unfortunately it'll be a while until they get vacation, but it will be a good one

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Festival**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 3**_

It was 9.00 am. Present Mic's voice echoed through the entire school, announcing the opening of the Cultural Festival. Some classes that had concession stands as their class projects opened right away, selling food and beverages for guests. The performances were timed in such a way that no two classes performed at the same time. This way, everybody could enjoy all the activities, until the end of the festival at 5.00 pm.

Class 1-A live music started at 10. Katsuki's furious drum beats opened the play, followed by Denki on the guitar and Momo on the synthesizer. Fumikage's tremolo danced in between the three instruments, topped off by Kyoka's shrilling voice. For about half an hour the auditorium became the center of festival.

"Listen to those losers, desperately crying for attention with their subpar performance. Whoever's singing sounds like a cat in heat," Neito Monoma jeered as the sound of the music rattled Class 1-B stage. "When we start, people are going to flood this stage, and we don't even have to scream. We'll blind them with our awesomeness!"

"Just focus on your part, Monoma," Yosetsu replied. The makeup made his face itchy. He had to clasp his hands behind his back to keep him from scratching his face.

"I don't have to focus on my part. I _am_ 'Romeo', man! I'm _the_ guy!" Neito chuckled conceitedly. "You're the one who needs to focus on your part, my eunuch servant." Neito slapped Yosetsu's shoulder, then left to chat with Tetsutetsu, who would play Romeo's nemesis, Count Paris.

Yosetsu let out a sharp breath. He didn't know why he let himself play a eunuch servant of Neito's Romeo, the main character of the play. He hadn't told Chika about his part, not because he was ashamed, but because he wanted her to be completely surprised. Now he started to feel that it was not a good idea.

"I wish I played Romeo," Nirengeki Shoda bemoaned. "Ruby would be very impressed. Now I get to play Romeo's dumb servant, and Ruby will be all over Monoma."

"Hey, if she likes you, she'll be all over you no matter what part you play," Yosetsu elbowed Nirengeki. "Just play your part, man. Get this thing over with so you can go back and charm her."

"Guys! Guys! Five minutes!" Setsuna Tokage hissed from across the stage.

"Charm her, charm her," Nirengeki took several deep breaths. "Alright, here's looking at you, Ruby."

"Best of luck to us all," Yosetsu added.

"Ready guys?" Neito returned and assumed a pretentious stance in between Yosetsu and Nirengeki. "Alright, let's shake up the world!"

The curtain slid open to start Class 1-B stage play: _Romeo, Juliet, and The Prisoner of Azkaban: The Return of The Kings_. The audience knew it was a parody, and what a parody they got. Neito Monoma played his part to an absolute exaggeration, drawing laughter from the audience. Tetsutetsu was sinister and comical at the same time. Yui Kodai was elegant as Juliet, the only one that did not draw laughter at every line. Everybody had a chance to shine and delivered a good dose of humor to entertain the public.

Yosetsu did not expect to get a lot of attention. He just came up to the stage and played his part. He used the opportunity to watch out for Aqours girls. He spotted Chika, laughing her heart out with 5 other girls. Hanamaru, Ruby, and Yoshiko were nowhere to be seen. This made his stomach churn. He remembered the conversation with Momo and Pyrrha the day before, and he sweated bullets on the stage, thinking of what could be happening to those 3 girls. But there was nothing he could do because all Class 1-B students had to perform, and Itsuka Kendo was stuck at the beauty pageant.

Nevertheless, the play ended, and the audience gave a standing ovation. Yosetsu quickly ran backstage, changed his clothes, then scurried back toward the audience. The 6 Aqours girls were waiting for him, and by the look on their eyes he knew they couldn't wait to make fun of him.

"So… a eunuch, it turned out," Chika chuckled. "No wonder you wouldn't tell me what you would be playing."

"Good job," Dia chimed in. "You were very convincing as a eunuch."

"Very convincing to the point that Chika started to raise questions about your manhood," You tuned in.

"Maybe we need to check if he was actually acting," Mari added insult to injury.

"Alright, alright, I deserve that," Yosetsu wiped the make up off his face. "Did you like it?"

"Like? I love it! I had never laughed so hard!" Chika started giggling again.

"Well I'm glad you had fun. Where are the other 3?" Yosetsu quickly asked.

"They went to Class 1-A live band," Riko stated. "They should be done by now."

"We need to get them," Yosetsu became nervous. "They shouldn't walk around by themselves."

"Wait, wait, what's going on?" Kanan caught the tension in Yosetsu's face. "We are safe inside UA, right? Isn't that right?"

"Yes you are," Yosetsu grinned foolishly. "I just thought maybe…"

"Hey everyone, Class 1-A live dance is so cool!" suddenly Hanamaru, Ruby, and Yoshiko came. "They made people float at the climax! We never saw anything like that! You don't know what you missed!"

"You know who is cool? Fumikage, the guitarist!" Yoshiko said, referring to Fumikage Tokoyami. "So exquisitely dark and handsome. We had a conversation after the show and we touched each other's heart at the deepest level. The Dark Shadow Tokoyami and the Fallen Angel Yohane will join hands at the black altar…"

"Uhm, Yohane, you may leave Tokoyami alone," Yosetsu said, puffing a breath of relief. "He's already taken."

"What? By whom?" Yoshiko's eyes widened.

"Reiko Yanagi, the girl with short gray hair. You met her when you first arrived at UA."

Yoshiko looked at Yosetsu in the earnest, hoping that he was not telling the truth. But she knew he was. "Argh, _ato wa no to nare yama to nare!_ "

"Ruby has a 'date', _zura_ ," Hanamaru whispered to Chika.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, how long have you been here?" Chika turned to Ruby. "Is he good looking?"

" _Pigi yaa!_ That is not true! Why are you telling bad jokes?" Ruby squealed. Her face turned beet red.

"Don't encourage her, Chika!" Dia blurted, irritated by the idea of her sister dating.

"There was this blonde boy, _zura_ ," Hanamaru continued. "He kept talking to Ruby, asking where she came from, how long she stayed here, what her favorite subjects at school were. He was sparkly and talking with this French accent, _zura_ …"

"That's Yuga Aoyama," Yosetsu muttered. He looked around hoping to intercept Nirengeki before the chubby guy could hear the conversation, but he was too late. Nirengeki was standing behind Yosetsu the whole time.

"It only happened because I was on the stage!" Nirengeki gritted his teeth. "I had no way to prevent it because I had to play that stupid servant only to stroke Monoma's ego…"

"Alright, alright, don't make a scene," Yosetsu pushed Nirengeki back so the girls couldn't hear what he was saying. "It was just a conversation. Did you not see her reaction? Aoyama freaked her out. But if she sees you like this, she'll be scared of you more than him! So calm down and don't escalate this into unnecessary feud in front of her."

Nirengeki took several deep breaths. "Are you telling the truth? Did Aoyama scare her?"

"See it for yourself, man," Yosetsu stepped out of Nirengeki's way so he could look at Ruby.

"Then I will defend her honor for the rest of the day," Nirengeki clutched his fists. "My Twin Impact will be her shield."

"Alright, but don't start a fight with Aoyama," Yosetsu rubbed his temple. "Make a good impression of yourself in front of her. And for the love of _Raijin_ , make a good impression of Class 1-B in front of everybody."

" _Ryokai_ ," Nirengeki nodded then walked toward Ruby. "Ruby-kun, I am sorry you had to deal with unpleasant individual when I was on stage. But I am free for the rest of the day, and I will make sure you don't have to deal with persons like that again, if you let me be your guard."

"I uh…" Ruby stuttered and slid behind Hanamaru. "Thank you, I guess you can…"

"We all go together," Yoshiko stepped in front of Nirengeki. "We are going to the Ghost Labyrinth…"

" _Pigi yaa!_ Nooo!" Ruby shrieked.

"Hey, I want to see that too!" Kanan blurted.

"Yeah, that's a lot of fun!" Riko and You said in unison.

"I'll cover them, Awase," Kinoko Komori arrived and took charge. "Alright ladies, whoever wants to see Class 1-C Ghost Labyrinth come with me!"

Everybody except Hanamaru, Ruby, Chika, and Mari departed with Kinoko, squealing with anticipation.

"I don't understand the appeal of getting scared out of your mind," Mari muttered. "Freaks!"

"Awase, I'm going to show my American friend around," Pony Tsunotori said. "Come on, Mari! You have to see our Ground Beta training area! It's a vast field set up like a city…"

"Sure, go ahead," Yosetsu said as Pony and Mari went toward the training ground. He turned to Hanamaru and Ruby. "Are you ladies OK with Shoda covering you?"

"Of course, _zura_! We want to check out the food stands, _zura_!" Hanamaru replied. She turned to Chika. "Chika-chan, do you want to come with us?"

"Nah, you go ahead. I want to see the beauty pageant," Chika smiled. "Don't eat yourselves out. We still have to sing tonight."

Yosetsu winked at Nirengeki, and as the chubby guy went with Hanamaru and Ruby, he turned to Chika. " _Sou desu_ , I'm going to the beauty pageant with you."

"Only if you want to," Chika start walking toward the beauty pageant arena. "What's that all about with your friend Shoda?"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Secret?" Chika's big eyes bugged out. "What secret? What? What?"

"Shoda likes Ruby."

" _Doshitano?!_ Ruby is hot today! I've been here for several days and nobody's hitting on me." She turned to Yosetsu with mischief on her face. "Maybe I'm hanging out with the wrong crowd."

Yosetsu shot a sour grin. "You did get hit on, by a tall, handsome blonde."

"Yeah, but he's weird, so that doesn't count."

Yosetsu laughed heartily, then grabbed Chika's hand. He entwined his fingers with hers, and she reciprocated with equal enthusiasm. For a few seconds Yosetsu thought he was floating in the clouds. It felt nothing like he imagined before. Her skin felt like velvet. He looked into her eyes, as if asking permission, but her gentle, honest stare was enough. He squeezed her hand, and led her to the beauty pageant arena.

As expected, the beauty pageant arena was packed with students. Yosetsu and Chika joined the rest of Class 1-B to rally behind their class representative. When Itsuka Kendo appeared in her strapless gown, the students of Class 1-B erupted like baseball fans whose favorite player just hit a home run. Kendo acknowledged the support of her classmates, and she proceded with some martial art moves, drawing even more cheers from the audience.

One by one the contestants performed in the catwalk, then it was time to cast the votes.

"Who do you root for?" Yosetsu asked.

"I'm rooting for the girl from Class 3-A," Chika replied. "She had the best overall presentation."

"Nejire Hado?" Yosetsu was a little upset over Chika's choice. "How could you pick Hado over Kendo?"

"Hey, entertainment is my battlefield, and I know Nejire Hado will be crowned Miss Con this year."

"You _know_?" Yosetsu teased her. "Dare to put money where your mouth is?"

Chika shot a taunting stare at Yosetsu. "You're asking me to bet? Alright! If Hado wins, you go to Love Live qualifier next month! You're going to cheer for Aqours until your voice is gone!"

"I would do that anyway, but fine. I'm all for Kendo. If she wins, you go on a date with me. Real date. Candle-lit dinner. Dancing. Walking on the beach, hand in hand. And calling it a night with a kiss."

Chika stood dumbfounded for a moment. "I uh… I don't know you think about it seriously."

"I do," Yosetsu looked deep into her eyes. "I enjoy every second I spent with you. I want more than just going to ice cream parlor, or concert, or beauty pageant. I want something more… personal. But if you don't feel comfortable, that's fine. I'll find another thing worthy of a bet."

"You don't have to wait until I lose a bet," Chika moaned. "But fine, Love Live qualifers for a romantic date." She extended her hand for a handshake. "Deal?"

"Deal!" Yosetsu grabbed her hand. "Now we have to wait for the result. What do you want to do?"

"I'm hungry," Chika stated. "Let's check some of the food stands."

Yosetsu held Chika's hand again and strolled through the Student Center, going from one stand to another. Alas nothing piqued Chika's interest, so they ended up at Lunch Rush Cafetaria again.

"You'd better have something other than _mikan_ this time, young lady!" Lunch Rush said.

"Try the _yakisoba_. It's Lunch Rush's specialty. I have it all the time," Yosetsu pointed out.

"Alright then, _yakisoba_ and two _mikan_ ," Chika decided.

"Make it two, minus the _mikan_ ," Yosetsu added.

"Two _yakisoba_ and two _mikan_!" Lunch Rush quickly prepared the food. "Enjoy your meal!"

The two teenagers found a table and started eating. Halfway through their meal Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka sat on the table next to them.

"So, Takami-chan, are you enjoying the festival?" Ochaco said.

"Yes, this is a great experience!" Chika replied. "I'm glad I get to come and enjoy. The shows are great. Sorry I missed Class A live dance, there was not enough time to watch both Class A and B presentations. But a few of my friends went to your event and they said it was great!"

"We did a lot of preparation for the performance," Izuku smiled proudly.

"I'm gonna check on the cookies," Chika stood up. "Yosetsu-chan, do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good," Yosetsu waved his hand. "Have fun!"

As soon as Chika left, Izuku leaned toward Yosetsu. "Momo told me about the third vandal," he said, half whispering. "What a sick bastard, using this event for his personal grudge."

"We don't know if it's a personal grudge," Yosetsu lowered his voice. "At this time we're just speculating, but come to think of it, Pyrrha's deduction makes perfect sense."

"So we assume there's another one lurking in the shadow, waiting to strike," Ochaco mused.

"That's what I'm worried about. Aqours will perform in 5 hours. I'm worried that he may take a stab at the concert."

"Bakugo performs with them," Izuku said. "He is the most hot-blooded student in the entire 1st year. Momo, Fumikage, and Kyoka Jiro are there too. Not to mention Todoroki, Kendo, Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and perhaps Togata, Hado, and Amajiki, the three strongest Pro Heroes in the entire school. I don't think the vandal is crazy enough to challenge this assembly."

"Momo implied that this third guy is very smart," Ochaco added. "I don't think the jerk is going to risk it."

"We'll keep an eye on anything unusual," Izuku stated. "We'll worry about the stage and the instruments. You just worry about the girls."

"Thank you guys," Yosetsu flashed his gratitude. "We could use extra pairs of eyes."

"Hey, look what I found!" Chika returned with a bowl full of mocchi. "I know these are not good for our teeth, but we only live once, right? Come on, dig in! I know you like them, Uraraka-chan!"

"Oh wow! I love mocchi!" Ochaco grinned from ear to ear.

"Save some for me!" Izuku joined in, after giving Yosetsu a small nod.

The four of them shared food and laughters for a while, until it was time for the beauty pageant winner announcement. They all went to the beauty pageant arena which was already packed with students from all grades. All contestants lined up on the catwalk, waiting nervously for the decision.

"This is the final event of the day!" Present Mic boomed while Midnight held the tiara for the winner. "It was a great competition among the prettiest Pro Heroes ever enrolled at UA, but there can be only one winner. After taking account of jury's points and the votes from the audience, this year's Miss Con goes to…... Nejire Hado, Class 3-A!"

"I told you!" Chika screamed in Yosetsu's face, trying to overpower the roar of the audience. "I told you, Hado would win!"  
"Alright, you were right!" Yosetsu yelled back.

"Kendo may win next year, or the year after," Chika said. "Tell her to keep practicing. And you… don't lose faith on her. She's a great competitor."

"I'll make sure she gets your message," Yosetsu replied.

On the catwalk, Midnight put the tiara on Nejire's head and gave her a hug. All other contestants congratulated her. As the audience dispersed, Nejire climbed down the catwalk to meet Mirio Togata, who had been standing near the stairs for a long time. He gave her a hug, a quick peck on her cheeks, then wrapped his arms around her as he mashed her lips with his own.

"Awww… look, how nice is that," Chika watched dreamily. "The best gift a girl could get is one from the one she loves…"

Yosetsu saw Chika's reaction to Mirio's and Nejire's kiss, and he knew she wanted it as badly as he did. After everything that led up to that moment, he couldn't find a better chance to finally – _finally_ – take their relationship to the next level.

"Are you uh… interested in having that kind of relationship?" he asked gently.

"Sure, of course… with the right person."

"Have you found the right person?"

Chika turned around and look at Yosetsu in the earnest. "I think I have."

Yosetsu didn't need more words. He slowly drifted forward, taking his lips toward Chika's, while watching her eyelids ever so slowly came to a close, anticipating their lips to touch each other…

"Awase-san!" suddenly Yoshiko's voice pierced his ears, forcing him to jerk backward. "Awase-san, I have a question for you. Did Fumikage consummate his relationship with his girlfriend? Because if he hasn't, the union of the Dark Shadow Fumikage and the Fallen Angel Yohane still has a good chance."

"Consummate? ! How would I know?" Yosetsu yelped, furious that Yoshiko just ruined his moment with Chika. "They don't share that information! Why would they share that information?"

"Give it up, Yohane, or you will hurt somebody," Chika regained composure faster than Yosetsu.

"I have found my perfect match and now I'm not allowed to have him? The Dark Lord must have cursed my life!" Yoshiko groused. "I must purify my soul and resubmit to the Dark Lord!"

"Hey, it's 5 o'clock," Dia said. "It's time to get ready for our show. Where's Hana and Ruby?"

"We're here!" the 2 girls joined the group with Nirengeki following them like a puppy.

"Your school is awesome!" Mari said to Pony. "The training ground, the mess hall, the stadium… if only we have that kind of facility at Uranohoshi…"

"Alright, let's get back to the hotel," Chika said. She turned to Yosetsu awkwardly. "Sorry, we must go. We must get ready."

"I'll take you back to the hotel," Yosetsu said.

"No, we can find our way. You have done enough. Why don't you rest and get ready for the evening?"

"But…"

"Pony and I can cover this, Awase," Kinoko Komori said. "Like they said, you've done enough. Get some rest."

"Well, fine then," Yosetsu traded baffled look with Nirengeki. "See you tonight."

Chika shot a small smile before going with the rest of the group. Yosetsu didn't understand what just happened. He almost kissed her, then suddenly she acted completely different, all in the span of 5 minutes. What happened if he actually did kiss her? And why didn't she let him escort them back to the hotel while she immediately accepted Kinoko's offer?

Yosetsu thought he would never find the answer.

"Come on, Shoda, let's get back to the dorm," he sighed as he dragged his feet.


	24. Chapter 23

**Review Corner**

 **Guest** : Kendo needs more practice but she has 2 years ahead of her

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Naïve Romantic**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 3**_

It was almost time for Aqours concert and students from all around Musutafu started to fill the stadium. Minoru Mineta used this opportunity to bait a few female students from Seiai Academy using his 'catching the vandals' story. Mei Hasume engaged a 'heated' debate with Tatami Nakagame from Ketsubutsu Academy to decide which one was the better idol group, Aqours or Muse's. Hitoshi Shinso from Class 1-C reunited with his friends from Nabu Middle School who came to the concert as Aqours cosplayers. And Yuga Aoyama had an intense conversation with a young chef named Soma Yukihira about French cuisine.

"I never thought that Japan was this much fun," Jaune Arc mumbled as some students wearing naval hats walked toward his direction. He approached a petite girl with shoulder-length fawn hair. "Hi, the name's Jaune Arc, Beacon Academy. You're not from here, are you?"

"I'm from Shiketsu High School," the girl replied. "My name is Camie Utsushimi. _Hajimemashite_."

"Camie, huh? That's sounds American," Jaune shot a confident smile. "Lucky I bring my library card because I'm totally checking you out!"

"Uhm…" Camie cringed. "I think library is that way, but it may be closed already. _Sumimasen_ , I have to go." She bowed quickly and regrouped with her friends. "Guys, I don't understand why that dude wants go the the library at this hour."

One of Camie's friends, a very large man with a naval hat similar to hers, stole a glimpse at Jaune then walked away with a curt chuckle. " _Bakayaro!_ "

"Dammit!" Jaune spat. "Fun place but nobody understands English around here!"

Ten minutes to 8.00 Class 1-A musicians came out and tuned their instruments. Kyoka, Fumikage, and Denki used Momo's synthesizer as the standard. Katsuki ignored the rest of the group and played some fast and loud heavy-metal drum riffs, drawing ire from the audience who expected catchy numbers from Aqours.

Meanwhile Yosetsu strolled mindlessly among the crowd until he found a spot he in the audience. He watched the musicians synched their axes when Reiko Yanagi approached.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Why aren't you backstage with your girl?"

"Kinoko Komori usurped me as the lead of the escort team," Yosetsu joked bitterly.

"Oh, she did? She is, indeed, a B-I-G fan of idol groups," Reiko smiled and stood next to Yosetsu. "Hey, that means you're free to watch the concert."

"Sure. And what are _you_ doing here?" Yosetsu replied. "Aren't you supposed to be closer to the stage?"

"I like to watch him from this distance," Reiko said as the musicians started playing together. She paused for a few minutes, watching Fumikage prepared for the concert, then leaned toward Yosetsu. "Tell me something, Awase. Does one of the Aqours made an attempt at my guy?"

"How did you come upon this?" Yosetsu choked.

"I have my sources."

"Uh…" Yosetsu scratched his head. "It's just an innocent attraction. One of the girls showed interest in Fumikage, but he did not reciprocate. That's about it."

Reiko took several deep breaths. "I'm not a typical high-school drama-queen bully, but if she moves closer to him than she already is, I will _poltergeist_ her with poop."

As much as Yosetsu wanted to see it, it wouldn't be as funny as he thought it would be. "I'll tell her that if she continued to bother Fumikage, the consequences would be… stinky."

The two Class 1-B students shared laughter, then their conversation was cut short by cheers. One by one Aqours took the stage, starting from Kanan, Dia, and Mari, followed by Chika, You, and Riko, and ended by Hanamaru, Ruby, and Yoshiko. Yosetsu had seen them in their idol outfit, but tonight, they were just high school students, dressed in t-shirts and jeans and converses and flats. Truthfully, he liked them better this way.

"Hellooooo Musutafu!" Chika greeted the audience. She made eye contact with Yosetsu, and she gave him a wink and a warm smile. "Thank you for coming for such a short notice. It means so much to us. You guys are the ones that keep us believe in ourselves, and ones that keep us stay in our course to find our radiance!

"Thank you for UA High School for letting us perform in conjunction with its Cultural Festival," Chika went on. "Thank you for 1st year students to makt it happen. And thank you for Class 1-A band to play with us. As you can see, we will not dance tonight. We will just sing. But we hope it does not make your night less enjoyable. Let's start with something warm and close to the heart, _Yume de Yozora o Terashitai_."

Momo's synthesizer started off the mid-tempo song, followed by gentle bass play by Kyoka and guitar strum by Denki. Fumikage found some spaces to showcase his tremolo skill. Katsuki, however, was not happy to play a gentle song like this. He wanted to let loose, but Kyoka made sure he was restrained.

The Aqours started singing, and the audience waved their glow sticks in response.

"They're adorable," Reiko made a comment as the song came to an end. "Your girl is adorable, Awase."

"Thanks," Yosetsu smiled. "Your guy is great too. I never knew he was an accomplished guitarist. You're a very lucky girl, Yanagi."

"He mostly plays in his spare time," Reiko smiled back. "They play great together, don't they? Your girl and my guy?" She paused briefly, then continued, "What is the chance for Fumikage to play for Aqours as a touring musician?"

"I'll bring it up to them, but it really is their decision," Yosetsu stated. "Don't be upset if they don't think it is of their best interest."

"Understood," Reiko replied. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

As the concert rolled on, Aqours continued to sing more slow- and mid-tempo numbers, then heat up the atmosphere with _Mirai no Bokura wa Shitteru yo_ , an upbeat song that made Katsuki's night. The audience started to jump around and danced. It had been a long day for everybody, but the music energized them.

"Does everybody have fun tonight?!" Kanan took over the role of front lady from Chika. "Ready for some more?"

The crowd came back with an enthusiastic roar.

"I hope you're not done because it is time for party! Let's go Happy Party Train!"

Momo's arpeggio was greeted by screaming fans, and Denki's wicked strumming lit everybody on fire. Kyoka, Fumikage and Katsuki took turns supporting Momo and Denki until Kanan belted out her signature song, backed up by the rest of the group

 _Omoi o nosete_ Happy Happy Trainto go!  
 _Ashita ga yonderu bokutachi o  
_ _Mayowazu nottara_ Party Party Train to go!  
 _Igai na hito ga soba ni ita?  
_ _Kitai ni kagayaku hitomi nara mieru yo  
_ _Tooi eki de kitto nanika ga matteru no_

"That was my favorite song!" Kanan said at the end of the song. "This has been a lovely evening, but sadly all good things must come to an end. We have prepared something special for you guys."

"We came a long way as a group," Dia tuned in. "Once we were nine individuals trying to make the best of Aqours. Mijuku Dreamer is the first song where we came together as one. Nobody knows what the future brings, but at any point in our lives we will always look back and treasure this song as the time when 'we' became 'us'."

"So without further ado, we give you… Mijuku Dreamer."

Riko cued the musicians, and this time Fumikage started off with a heart-wrenching riff. It was the only song where Riko let Class-A musicians to use their own compositions, and Fumikage didn't disappoint with his solo. Katsuki followed up with slow but heavy drum beats, supported by Kyoka on the bass. Momo and Denki filled in the gaps with their own riffs, creating a haunting piece that hypnotized the audience. Each Aqours girl delivered a solo part, then everybody converged on the chorus

 _Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai  
_ _Demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo  
_ _Minna to nara norikoerareru  
_ _Kore kara nanda ne otagai ganbarou yo  
_ _Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai  
_ _Demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni  
_ _Minna to nara murishitaku naru  
_ _Seichou shitai na mada mada Mijuku_ Dreamer

As if fallen under Aqours' spell, the audience started swaying and waving their glow sticks in sync with the rock ballad. Mirio Togata slow-danced with the newly-crowned Miss Con Nejire Hado, Izuku danced with Ochaco, Yo Shindo from Ketsubutsu danced with Camie Utsushimi from Shiketsu, prowled by jealous stare from Jaune.

"Somebody please dance with me," Jaune tried to find a single girl before his eyes fell on Pony Tsunotori. "Hey, you're American, right? I hope you know CPR because dancing with you will take my breath away!"

"Oh My God, that is so lame!" Pony slipped away without even looking at Jaune.

"What the hell is wrong with these Pro Heroes?" Jaune was close to pulling his own hair.

"I'll dance with you, darlin'," a familiar voice echoed on his back. Jaune turned around only to find Pyrrha in a satin red dress, giving him a longing gaze.

"Hmm… returned to your senses, didn't you, Pyrrha?" Jaune smiled and took Pyrrha's hands. "Missing the strong touch of a man?"

"I miss the strong touch of you," Pyrrha said seductively. "Now let's not talk. Just dance."

Yosetsu observed the crowd and saw his friend Hiryu dancing with the freckled girl from Class 1-G, Akiho or something. He sniggered at the irony. This could be the perfect opportunity for him to declare his love for Chika, with this killer song playing in the background. It could be 'their song' as a couple. But instead Hiryu and Akiho got that opportunity. A couple that did not want to be together anymore.

"A shame, isn't it?" Reiko read Yosetsu's mind. "Such a beautiful song, and we could only stand like a couple of nerds."

"You could say that again," Yosetsu scoffed and watched Aqours ramped up the song. His eyes met Chika's, and for a while they looked at each other over a distance. It was agonizing to see her so close yet so far. A wasted opportunity. But there would be another day, although he doubted it would be as perfect as this.

Aqours came to the final chorus, and held the last note for as long as their lungs permitted, drawing wild cheers from the audience. Class A musicians carried the music to the end, and Fumikage closed the performance with yet another soulful riff. Aqours invited the musicians to hold hands and bowed together, while the crowd chanted "Encore! Encore!"

"Thank you Musutafu! We love you!" Kanan screamed from the top of her lung.

But as the musicians and the rest of Aqours exited the stage, Chika went back to the front while Riko manned the synthesizer. She waited until the crowd stopped screaming, then dropped her bomb.

"It's been an honor to perform at UA High School today," she said, "but the greatest honor I've ever received is to know, and be a part of, a special 'someone'. This last song is dedicated for my special 'someone', and I am going to do something I have never done before…..."


	25. Chapter 24

**Review Corner :**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Reiko may be shy but she is not quiet in the manga. She yells at Monoma occassionally. But I like your argument about her being more 'open' around her friends.

* * *

 **Chapter 24: This is Now**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 3**_

"What is she doing, Awase?" Reiko shot a curious stare at Yosetsu. "What is this 'never been done before' she is talking about?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" Yosetsu shook his head. "She's been acting weird these past two days. She's shutting me out. Maybe she's…" and then everything started to make sense. "She's preparing for an encore, and she doesn't want me to see it."

"Aqours take pride in being self-reliant," Chika went on. "We write and sing our own songs. We make our own costume. We finance our own expenses for shows and competitions. But tonight, I can't find a better song to express my feelings than this wonderful piece, so just this once, I make an exception." She found Yosetsu and locked her eyes on his. "Here's _Aishiteru Banzai_ by Maki Nishikino from the Muse."

Riko's fingers started dancing on the synthesizer just as Chika burst into song like a canary

 _Aishiteru banzai, koko de yokatta  
_ _watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru  
_ _Aishiteru banzai, hajimatta bakari  
_ _ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada gooru janai_

Chika sang from the heart, putting everybody on a trance. Never once throughout the song she broke eye contact with Yosetsu, who could only stare at her blankly. Her intensity raised questions, and one by one the crowd turned around to see who she was looking at. Yosetsu felt naked as the audience looked at him, but he couldn't move, as if Chika had taken away his will with her voice.

 _Saa! Daisuki da banzai, makenai yuuki  
_ _watashitachi wa ima o tanoshimou  
_ _Daisuki da banzai, ganbareru kara  
_ _kinou ni te o futte hora mae muite_

When she reached the coda Chika encouraged the crowd to sing with her, and the crowd responded enthusiastically in the hundreds. Glow sticks and zippos flourished in the air, turning the dimly-lit stadium into a sea of sparkles. They continued to chant until Riko played the last note. She got up and joined Chika to give the audience one final heartfelt bow, drawing the biggest cheers from the audience since the beginning of the concert.

Yosetsu still froze like a statue.

"Thank you! Thank you, Musutafu!" Chika and Riko said. "Good night!" They climbed down the stage and regrouped with the rest of Aqours. But as Kinoko Komori led them away from the stage, Chika separated herself from the group and walked toward Yosetsu. A few fans tried to get her attention, to which she responded with smiles and pleasantries. But she kept on her course.

"I'll leave you two alone," Reiko Yanagi tapped Yosetsu's shoulder. "Good night, Awase."

Yosetsu didn't even reply. He just stood like a fool until Chika was practically an inch away from his face. "Well?" she said with a small smile. "You need to say something. I worked really hard on that last piece."

"Wow…" it was all Yosetsu could muster.

"I wished I could sing it as good as the original."

"I like yours better," Yosetsu started to gain composure.

"Really? Have you seen Maki Nishikino doing it?"

"I don't have to," Yosetsu couldn't hold it anymore. He hooked his arm around her waist, grabbed her neck by his free hand, then kissed her lips. The taste of _mikan_ made his heart skip a beat, and for almost a minute Yosetsu felt as if he was losing consciousness, so much he had to break his kiss to gasp for air.

Chika herself was lost in the sensation. Her body went completely limp, and if Yosetsu did not support her she would've sloshed to the ground like a heap of jelly. Her eyes shut close and her mouth gaped open. After a while her eyes fluttered open, and a faint whimper escaped her lips.

"Chika-chan, I need to tell you something," Yosetsu conjured up all the courage. It was mindblowing that all the fight he had been through, that close encounter with the Chainsaw Nomu in the forest, the burning buildings he had to deal with during his internship, none of them measured up to this moment, when he had to confess his feelings to this amazing girl. "I think… I'm in love with you."

Chika didn't answer. She just looked into Yosetsu's eyes for a long time, as if deciding what to do with it. In the end she just rested her head in Yosetsu's shoulder. " _Aishiteru yo…_ " she sighed, almost inaudibly.

It was far from romantic fanfare as seen on fairy-tale movies and stories, but who needed it anyway? Yosetsu gently pulled Chika's head up, and kissed her again. This time she reciprocated, fervently, and the two teenagers shut themselves out from the rest of the world, entwined in an embrace that lasted longer than the concert audience.

Finally Chika found the will to push Yosetsu off her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered him a big, warm smile. "So… what does this mean?"

"I guess we are uh… we are in a committed relationship. Don't you agree?"

"Committed… as in boyfriend-girlfriend relationship?"

"You could say that," Yosetsu grinned awkwardly. "To tell you the truth, my friends had been calling you that, and I never corrected them."

"What? Why did you do that?" Chika squealed.

"Because I… I want it to happen," Yosetsu scratched the back of his head. "I always wanted you to be my girlfriend."

"Cheater!" Chika shoved Yosetsu playfully. "I told Aqours that I was in love with you."

"So they knew before I did," Yosetsu feigned aggravation.

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one that wants it to happen," Chika flashed a devious smile.

Yosetsu grabbed Chika's hands. "From now on, you'll be the first to know about whatI think or feel."

"Likewise," Chika replied. "And I hope you can brace yourself, because I think of the whole world."

"I'm all ears for you," Yosetsu kissed her hands. "Now come, it's been a long day. I'll take you back to your hotel."

"Can you not?" Chika flinched. "I just got a boyfriend and the last thing I want is meddlesome girls getting on my face, asking things I'd rather relish in private."

"Oh, alright," Yosetsu smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Surprise me," Chika smiled back.

"I may know a place or two," Yosetsu said, "but it may require yet more… stamina, to enjoy."

"As long as I have you," Chika hooked her arms around Yosetsu. "I can sleep on the train back to Numazu tomorrow."


	26. Chapter 25

**Review Corner :**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : After 3 months of going nowhere, I think they are due.

* * *

 **Chapter 25:** _ **Zutto**_ **(Forever)**

 _ **Tatooin Station,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 4**_

The clock showed the time at 9.55 in the morning, and in 5 minutes the train will depart from Musutafu. It was the train that would take Aqours back to Numazu, after spending time at that magical UA Cultural Festival. Unfortunately reality caught up with their lives, and it was hard for everybody to go back to school, including Yosetsu and Chika. _Especially_ Yosetsu and Chika. They just had the most amazing time together. But time was just not on their side.

"If I had a quirk to stop the clock," Yosetsu said morosely, "I would stop it for an hour."

"Only an hour?" Chika flashed a mischievous smile.

"Well I would add a day but I don't think you could handle it," Yosetsu grinned.

Chika giggled and wrapped her arms around him. "Aqours will perform at Uranohoshi Open House in a few weeks. I want you to come. I _need_ you to come."

"I'll be there," Yosetsu nodded. "Text me the schedule and I'll be there."

Chika wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head. But just as Yosetsu pounced for her lips, she dodged and gave him a quick peck on the cheek instead. " _Ja ne_ , Yosetsu-chan."

"Wait, what is _that_?" Yosetsu grabbed Chika's jacket. "I won't accept that! Come on, give me the real thing! I'm not letting you go until you give me the real thing!"

"You crybaby, you!" once again Chika giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Yosetsu guided his fingers under her jacket and held the small of her back, pulling her close while hungrily ground Chika's sweet lips with his own. A small whimper escaped her mouth, but she quickly responded with equal intensity. Then suddenly time was not a concern anymore.

Yosetsu felt he could stay like that for hours if he didn't notice he was being pelted by fruit.

"What the hell?" he pushed Chika off him and parried volleys of nuts, strawberries, grapes, and even banana peels.

"Let her go you pervert!" Kanan, Mari, and Dia stood by the train door, each holding a handful of snacks, ready for the next salvo. The rest of Aqours squealed and screamed inside the train, which, from where Yosetsu stood, looked like a bunch of monkeys in the zoo.

" _Yame nasai!_ " Chika screamed from the top of her lung. She turned to Yosetsu. "My friends are more mature than yours? I don't think so."

"I'll say," Yosetsu wiped the sap from the fruit on his face. He noticed that Chika was not wearing her hair clip. "You're missing something," he said as he trained his fingers on her hair.

"It's just a hair clip, I may have left it at the hotel," Chika backpedaled toward the train door. " _Ja ne,_ Yosetsu-chan. _Itsumo anata-o omotteru-wa!_ "

" _Daisukina kimi to zutto!_ " Yosetsu replied, and waited until Chika entered the train. Not a minute after she disappeared behind the door, the train blasted its horn and started moving. He felt a small chunk of her heart had been ripped from his chest, and he would never get it back again, until she returned to his arms.

Then his phone rang. It was Itsuka Kendo.

"Where are you?" Itsuka blurted just as Yosetsu punched the receiver.

"I'm at Tatooin, sending off Aqours back to Numazu. What's going on?"

"Shoda is challenging Aoyama to a duel. No quirk, no weapons, just them and their knuckles."

"Duel? What are they dueling for?"

"Ego, pride, testosterone, and a girl named Ruby Kurosawa. I blame you on that one."

Yosetsu burst into laughter. "Fine, I take the responsibility. I'll be back in 15 minutes. I'll try to put some sense into Shoda."

* * *

 _ **Shinjuku, Tokyo,  
**_ _ **Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 5**_

When Pyrrha Nikos persuaded team JNPR to assist her in an 'intelligence gathering' mission, nobody knew they were going to sit on a bus stop in front of a karaoke bar at Shinjuku for a couple of hours. The hunters and huntresses rarely dealt with humans. They dealt with supernatural beasts. So naturally they expected to gather information about supernatural beasts. But all they saw was shoppers and middle-aged men going in and out of the karaoke bar.

"What exactly are we looking for, Pyrrha?" Lie Ren, a member of team JNPR, was getting tired of the stakeout.

"Momo needed some information from the UA students that were expelled for vandalism," Pyrrha explained. "Something doesn't make sense. So I need you to cover for me while I get the info."

"You still go out with Momo, Pyrrha?" Nora Valkyrie, another member, asked.

"Well, yeah? She's the light of my life!" Pyrrha scoffed.

"Well not anymore, according to Jaune."

"Huh?" Pyrrha looked at Jaune, who stared at her with wolfish smile.

"You had been without the strong arms of a real man for a long time that you couldn't get your arms off me at the dance floor, didn't you, Pyrrha?" Jaune grinned from ear to ear. "All those stupid pickup lines to impress Japanese chicks, it turns out I don't need them. All I need is right here, right in front of me. It's you, Pyrrha. It's always you."

"What are you talking about? I didn't dance with you!" Pyrrha snapped.

"Oh, getting a little shy, aren't you?" Jaune chuckled. "Remember that song? _Aishiteru Banzai, yamaha mistsubishi, toyota suzuki sony_ _minolta kawasaki_ …"

"Jaune, I did not dance with you!" Pyrhha said. "I stood by the stage near Momo the entire concert. Dozens of people saw me. Don't believe me? Ask Momo, Kyoka Jiro, Minoru Mineta, Tenya Iida…."

"Really?" Jaune swallowed hard. "Then who the hell danced with me last night? I thought it was you!"

"Are you sure it was Pyrrha?" Nora cocked her eyebrow.

"Are you sure it was a girl?" Lie Ren added.

"Oh My…ARGH!" Jaune buried his face in his palm. "All I want is a girlfriend, dammit! Why can't I get a girlfriend like normal people?!"

Just then a bus stopped on the other side of the road, and two young men jumped off. Pyrrha turned on her phone and pulled up the mug shots of Nagai and Kotani, the expelled UA students.

"That's them," she said. "Momo said they spent a lot of time in this place. Let's go in."

"Hey, I haven't been to a karaoke bar before!" Lie Ren said nervously. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Have a good time, and sing loud," Pyrrha replied. "I'll take care of the two imbeciles." She tugged Jaune's arm, who was still sobbing. "Come, Jaune. Karaoke is the way Japanese men relieve stress after a hard day's work. Maybe you should try it, see how it works out."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Act II is completed. Act III may take a bit longer to start because I never intended this story to go this far. So I will have to go back to the drawing board. But I already hinted about a lurking villain, so Act III is about these guys fighting the villain. The next Interlude (which will be up in the next few days) will shed some light about this villain, so don't go away yet.

In the mean time, I like to hear from the readers. If you read this story, leave a review or two for me. Tell me how you like it (or don't like it), and how I can improve. That's always appreciated.


	27. Interlude 2

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** Thank you for the many pointers. I will try to incorporate all the suggestions, starting from this chapter. I provided the translation of non-English phrases at the bottom of each chapter. I hope this helps enjoy the story more.

* * *

 **INTERLUDE II**

 _ **Class 1-B Dormitory, UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 10**_

Hiryu Rin just finished his homework when somebody knocked on his door. He dragged his feet to the door and lazily swung the door open. He raised his brows to see Yosetsu on the other side of the door.

"What?" he said. "What do you need this late?"

"We have to talk about your 'problem'," Yosetsu said. "You know, the Akiho problem."

"Now? It's almost 10 pm. Can it wait until weekend?"

"It'll take no more than 15 minutes," Yosetsu replied. "Come on, just a little talk won't hurt your schedule, will it?"

"I guess not," Hiryu knew something was going on, but he trusted Yosetsu. He turned around and left the door open for Yosetsu to come in. But Yosetsu pushed the door wide open, and Izuku Midoriya, Ochaco Uraraka, and Momo Yaoyorozu barged in, much to Hiryu's dismay.

" _Ching wah tsao duh liou mahng!_ I told you to keep this between us!" Hiryu cried out. He looked at Yosetsu with flames in his eyes. "How dare you betray my trust?!"

"Just shut up and listen to what Yaoyorozu says!" Yosetsu growled with equal intensity.

"My girlfriend Pyrrha found proofs that the vandalism on Class B's properties was more than just hate crime," Momo lashed out. "Since the vandals were expelled before I could do anything, Pyrrha conducted some research out of campus. While the two bastards confirmed that they did it out of hatred toward the Hero Department, they also mentioned two names. One is Suzuki, the other is Shimada. I know Akiho Suzuki." She approached Hiryu and looked into his eyes in the earnest. "Who the hell is Shimada?"

"S-Shimada?" Hiryu stuttered. "Hideo Shimada, Class 2-A… he's Akiho's… ex… boyfriend…"

"Why didn't you tell me this, Rin?" Yosetsu bellowed.

"Because I don't think it's relevant!" Hiryu returned fire. "He was just Akiho's ex! I didn't care who she dated before me, she didn't care who I dated before her. They were all in the past. We only cared for the present and looked toward the future."

"Everything is relevant," Izuku chimed in. "Pyrrha-san made an argument that the vandalism was some sort of a message. If Shimada was involved, he might be sending a message to Suzuki to stay away from you," he paused briefly before coming to Hiryu's attention, "… or to you to stay away from her."

"That's why she wanted to end our relationship before the second semester began," Hiryu turned white as a ghost. "She wasn't afraid that her father would find out. She was scared if Shimada would." He fell on his chair and buried his face on his hands. "I'm so stupid! How could I miss that?"

"She broke up with you to protect you," Ochaco joined in.

"Oh God, Akiho, why did you do this to yourself?" Hiryu lamented.

"You wanna help her? You wanna put her out of misery? Tell us everything you know about Shimada," Yosetsu said.

"You know UA Big Three? Once it was UA Big Four," Hiryu sighed. "Togata, Tamajiki, Hado, and Shimada. They were once considered to be the faces of UA Pro Hero program. Shimada had a very strong quirk. Part of his head can transform into tentacles with blades at the tip. But it was not the strength that made this weapon extremely dangerous. It was its speed. It moved at supersonic level, making it barely visible. Togata's warping skill was the only thing that could match Shimada's speed.

"However, Shimada was not academically adequate. When Togata, Tamajiki and Hado advanced to 3rd grade, Shimada had to repeat 2nd grade. UA didn't want a repeat student to be the face of the Pro Hero program, so it arranged events that only 3rd grade students were eligible to. The Big 4 gradually turned into Big 3, and Shimada fell out of spotlight. He felt somewhat betrayed by Togata, Tamajiki, and Hado. He turned into a bitter individual. They stopped hanging out together.

"Akiho met Shimada at the beginning of 1st semester, and at first she thought he was just misunderstood. They went out for a month, and she found out that Shimada was also abusive in addition to being unstable. When she tried to break up with him, he tortured her out of spite. She endured a great deal of pain to be finally free from him."

"Shouldn't UA have rules on domestic violence?" Izuku wondered.

"What would UA do?" Hiryu replied. "We were still living off campus by then. UA couldn't, and wouldn't, do anything for stuffs that happened outside UA ground. And even if UA did, Shimada would know that Akiho was responsible for it. He would come at her stronger and harder than ever. Akiho told me to just forget it. I love her, and it's hard for me to ignore somebody that hurt her, but I have to do it for her safety."

"So basically we have a psychopath running around freely," Yosetsu puffed a labored breath. He turned to Momo. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Momo shook her head. "I mean, I want him to pay for what he did to Suzuki, and for what he did to Class B. But what can we do? Report him? Principal Nezu would just expel him like he did to Nagai and Kotani. That means we are putting a psychopath in the society. We're making things worse. We need to put Shimada in jail or a mental institution, not on the street."

"If he's as strong as the Big 3, we have no chance in fighting him," Ochaco added.

"I'll talk to Mirio Togata," Izuku offered a solution. "I did some 'work' for him a few weeks ago. I think he would be willing to help based on our past relationship."

"Yeah, you do that," Momo said. "That's all we can do right now." She turned to Hiryu. "We need some insight from Suzuki too. Let me talk to her."

"I'm afraid she won't be cooperative," Hiryu replied somberly. "She constantly avoided this topic when she was going out with me. She just wanted to forget him."

"Look, Rin, we can't fight Shimada head on," Momo said firmly. "You know he is too strong for all of us combined. The only chance we have is to outsmart him. Force this sucker to make a mistake. We can do it if, and only if, we know his weaknesses. Suzuki was close to him once. We need her to shed some light on him."

"I'll talk to her," Hiryu stated.

"Alright, now I need all of us to agree on something," Momo said. "We know that Shimada is twisted, and Suzuki is defenseless at this point. Do not confront Shimada directly. Don't make it even harder for Suzuki. We'll take this one step at a time. Always talk to each other. And do not share this information around. We don't know who we can trust, and the last thing we want is somebody passing this information to Shimada, whether accidentally or purposefully. Does everybody agree on that?"

"Agree," Izuku and Ochaco said in unison.

"Agree," Hiryu added.

"Agree," Yosetsu tuned in.

"Awase, you may want to lay low on this one," Momo said. "Chika is out there by herself. Pyrrha can keep an eye on her, but she has her own responsibilities."

"Do you assume Shimada is going to send Nagai and Kotani to hurt Chika?" Yosetsu asked.

"We have to, for Chika's sake," Momo replied. "I know Rin is your good friend, but you know what Shimada is capable of doing. Keep yourself under the radar. We'll keep you posted, but leave the hard work to me, Midoriya, and Uraraka."

"Alright," Yosetsu nodded. "Let me know what I can do for you. I hate to stand idle."

"I'm sorry I bring this upon you and your girlfriend," Hiryu said to Yosetsu. "She deserves none of this."

"She doesn't, and you don't," Yosetsu replied. "We would do it anyway. You're just the fastest route to nail this Shimada guy." He put his hands on Hiryu's shoulder. "I promise you, we will crucify Shimada so you and Akiho can have a normal relationship."

Hiryu didn't respond for a while. When he came to his senses, he pulled Yosetsu to a warm embrace. "I should've known you wouldn't betray my trust," he choked. "I'm sorry, and thank you, for everything."

"If the situation were reversed, you'd do the same," Yosetsu pushed Hiryu away from him. "Now everybody is on the same page. Stick to the plan. And don't ever, ever, hide things from me again."

"It stops tonight," Hiryu replied. He turned to Momo, Izuku and Ochaco. "Guys, I never wanted you to be a part of my problem, but I'm glad you're on my side. I don't know what to thank you."

"Alright, now, there's no need to be overly sentimental," Momo turned around and walked toward the door. "Let's call it a day. We'll deal with this tomorrow."

As everybody exited his room, Hiryu locked the door and immediately picked up his phone to call Akiho. His heart bubbled with excitement, thinking that there was a chance for her to go back to his arms again. But he remembered what Momo said about not sharing the information around. He painfully turned off his phone and lied down on his bed. As much as he wanted to share the news, he thought he would wait a little longer. A week, a month, a year, it didn't matter.

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Ching wah tsao duh liou mahng ~_ Frog-humping sonofabitch. This is not a real Chinese cursing, rather a made-up (and hysterically over-the-top) one from the TV show _Firefly_.


	28. Interlude 3

**INTERLUDE III**

 **Author's Note** : Sorry, this is not Act III. I'm still working on the plot so I made this to amuse myself with some action scenes.

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Shimada's quirk is 'inspired' (i.e. stolen) from the anime Parasyte. The head of a Parasyte can transform into tentacles with sharp blades at the tip. It would make a terrifyingly deadly quirk, should one exist in Hero Academia universe.

* * *

 _ **Nakamise Shopping Center,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 14**_

It was not unusual for You Watanabe to go window shopping at Nakamise Shopping Center alone. As the costume coordinator, it was her job to scout the fashion world to ensure Aqours' outfits were up to date with the newest trend. Two or three hours a week at Nakamise was typical for her. And she preferred to do it alone. If any of her friends came with her, she wouldn't get anything done.

Today, however, she wished she had somebody with her.

"Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" a hairy man burst into the clothing shop. He jumped on the table and kicked clothes around. Some security guards followed suit, trying to box him into a corner, but the man threw tables and chairs and manequins at them, wreaking havoc wherever he went. His oversized arms allowed him to throw heavy tables as if they were baseballs. The security guards, armed only with measly batons, had no chance against the hairy man. Flying furnitures pelted them like meteors. The quick-footed ones immediately scampered out of the shop as they left the other guards behind, groaning in pain underneath a pile of heavy tables.

You was daydreaming at a shop's corner when the mayhem started, and it happened so quickly that by the time she started to run, the shop entrance was already blocked by a pile of tables. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, watching the villain throw tables and chairs every which way. Instinctively she ducked under a table, shuddering in intense fear. A few pinned security guards called her for help, but she was too scared to move. Her bones turned to mush. She just whimpered and hugged her legs under the table, not knowing what to do.

The hairy man continued his rampage and threw furnitures to barricade the shop entrance. You realized that sooner or later the hairy man would get her table and find her hiding underneath. She didn't know what caused the hairy man to go berserk, and she could care less. She was scared that he would hurt her the way he hurt the security guards. She rummaged in her purse for her mace, her 'weapon' she always had and wished she would never have to use. Her hands trembled when she dialed her phone, calling for her best friend.

"Chika-chan…" her voice shook between short gasps. "Chika-chan…"

Before she got Chika's answer, a man stopped in front of her. He crouched and took a peek under the table. You was certain it was the end of her life. She closed her eyes and sprayed her mace blindly, hoping to keep the man at bay.

"Hey! Hey! Miss, stop it! I'm a police officer!" the man grabbed You's hand and pushed it aside.

"Police?!" You opened her eyes and watched a skinny young man in police uniform grimacing in front of her. He was quick enough to deflect You's mace salvo, but some still got into his eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" You quickly apologized and inadvertently pulled the cop toward her. "I thought you were that guy!"

"That is alright, Miss. Are you hurt?" the cop said.

"No, but those guards are," she pointed at the pinned security guards. "Please help!"

"Hang on, Miss," the young cop said. He turned to his right. "Junzo! I have a civilian and a few incapacitated security guards! They need medical attention!"

"No time for that!" another police officer ducked under a table afew feet away. "We have to stop him before he causes any more damage!"

"Junzo, this guy has quirk! He's too strong for us! We need a Pro Hero to stop him!"

" _Bakayaro!_ This is Numazu! The closest Pro Hero is probably 2 hours away!" the cop called Junzo drew his gun. "Come on! Let's take him down! Together!"

The young cop drew his own gun and turned around. He gave You an assuring nod before aiming his gun at the source of the noise.

"Hey! Criminal! This is the police!" Junzo shouted. "We got you surrounded! Give it up! There's nowhere to go!"

His voice was still echoing when a table flew toward him. He recoiled but the table got him first. The wooden furniture steamrolled him before breaking into splinters.

"Junzo!" the young cop called for his partner, only to hear a bloodcurdling scream. He went back down, cowering under the table with You, then pulled out his comset. "Headquarters, Headquarters, this is Harisu! Junzo and I are chasing a villain with superhuman quirk, wrecking havoc at Nakamise. We got him cornered but are unable to take him down! Junzo is hurt! Requesting immediate support!"

"Hold position, Harisu- _junsa_ , we're sending back up! Don't let the criminal get away!"

"Understood, Headquarters. Any chance for a Pro Hero?"

"Negative, Harisu- _junsa_. We were lucky if we could get _Tokushu Butai_ , but not today."

The young cop named Harisu turned off his comset and forged a smile. "Don't be afraid, help is on its way. You'll get out of here soon."

"I'm scared, Officer… Harisu," You whispered.

"Me too," Harisu whispered back. "I'm not supposed to, but I am."

But You couldn't blame him. The villain mowed down half a dozen men, including Harisu's partner, without breaking a sweat. Only a fool did not get scared in this situation. Her imagination ran wild, taking her to Chika and her Pro Hero boyfriend, and wondered if everything would be the same with them. She wished she had a boyfriend with a quirk, just like Chika.

"Thank you for being honest," You said weakly.

"Don't tell anybody. I could get into trouble," Harisu tried to lift her morale.

You found herself smiling at Harisu's nervous joke.

Suddenly the table flew into the air and crashed a few feet in front of them. The hairy man stood right behind them. You could only bury her head in her palms and scream, but Harisu turned around and let his gun rip. He fired 5 shots, two of them hit the hairy man center mass. The hairy man staggered and fell backward into a pile of clothes on the floor.

You was still screaming when Harisu got up and coaxed her to stand. "Miss! Get up! Get up and get out of here!" It took her a while to get a grip of herself, but finally she managed to get up and move, with a lot of help from Harisu. The skinny cop pushed her toward the blocked entrance, encouraging her to find an opening, but he realized the entrance was completely blocked. And then, the hairy man started to get up. His chest was a bloody mess but he shrugged it off as if nothing happened.

"Oh My God!" You yelped in panic.

" _Kusottare!_ " Harisu blurted as he struggled to put fresh bullets into his old, underpowered Nambu M60. But his hands trembled so much the bullets ended up clattering on the floor. As the hairy man charged, Harisu dropped his gun and pulled out his baton. He swung his baton desperatedly but the hairy main parried his attack and punched him on the side. A muffled scream escaped Harisu's lips. The hairy man lifted Harisu up and threw him onto a pile of table. Harisu landed in a loud crash.

You went into a crouch and covered her head with her arms, waiting for whatever fate would take her. But when the hairy man advanced toward her, Harisu rose from the debris. Blood streamed down his nose, and his body contorted in pain, but he managed to conjure enough energy – and courage – to ram the hairy man's legs from behind. The villain, expecting no such violence from a frail cop that he had disposed of not a minute ago, was caught off guard. He fell backward, right on top of Harisu, and slammed the back of his head onto the floor.

Somehow Harisu found the will to get up. His left arm dangled on his side as if every tendon had been severed, but his right hand still had a solid grip on his baton. As the hairy man struggled to get up, Harisu hoisted his baton then buried the tip into the villain's solar plexus. The hairy man jolted then went limp. Harisu pulled himself up again, getting ready for his second strike, but the hairy man stopped moving. He dropped his baton, flashed a small smile at You, then collapsed under intense pain.

You could only watch the sequence until her fear turned to worry. She knelt beside Harisu, who moaned weakly. "Officer Harisu, what do I do?" she whimpered.

"Go," Harisu groaned in response. "Get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you," somehow You found the courage to stand by the cop that saved her life.

"Please go… he may get up again…" Harisu gently pushed You's hand away from him.

"No," instead You ripped her sleeve and wiped the blood off Harisu's face. "I'm not leaving you."

"Miss, if you die, all my pain is for nothing," Harisu said weakly.

"I am not leaving you," You said firmly. He was just as scared as she was, but he did everything in his power to make sure she was safe. Now it was her turn to do the same for him. "I am not scared anymore. I'm staying."

Just like Harisu predicted, the hairy man started getting up. You prepared her mace and braced for impact, but before the hairy man regained his footing, dozens of cops broke through the barricade. The majority of them quickly immobilized the hairy man, knowing that he was strong enough to beat several people. Paramedics followed suit, taking Harisu, Junzo, and the injured guards on stretchers, then hauled them out of the building.

You stayed beside Harisu the entire time.

"Harisu- _junsa_ , you took down a villain with superhuman quirk single-handedly," a ranking officer said as Harisu was rolled to an ambulance truck. "I don't know what you're thinking, son, but you just put Numazu Police Department on the front page of national newspapers."

"Just doing my job, Sir," Harisu wheezed.

"Save your modesty," the ranking officer scoffed. "I'll make sure your heroics will be compensated handsomely. At least a commendation is in order."

"Thank you, Sir," Harisu said.

"Congratulations, Officer Harisu," You smiled. "You definitely deserve it."

"Taro," Harisu replied, weakly, but enthusiastically. "My name is Taro Harisu. Call me Taro." He grabbed You's hand. "I never know your name."

"Watanabe. You Watanabe."

"Watanabe-san, I'd like to see you again," Harisu said. "In better circumstances, obviously."

"I'd love to," You replied. Her cheek turned pink.

"Don't worry, he'll be at the Municipal Hospital for a while," the ranking officer said, smiling knowingly. "Come by the office tomorrow, I'll give you his room number."

"I look forward to your visit," Harisu said as the paramedics rolled him into the ambulance and closed the door. " _Ja ne_ , Watanabe-san."

" _Ja-ne_ ," You waved. She waited until the ambulance drove out of the parking lot. She remembered her wish to have a Pro Hero boyfriend like Chika. Well, not anymore. Taro Harisu didn't have a quirk but he had the heart of a god, and if You could have that, she considered herself the luckiest girl on earth.

"You-chan! You-chan!" Chika and her sister Mito arrived at the scene, rushing toward her. "We heard about the rampage! Oh My God, that was terrible! Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," You let out an exasperated sigh before leaning on her friend for support. Her knees buckled. She didn't know how she got out of the building with her own power, because at the moment she didn't even have strength to stand straight.

"We'd better get her to a doctor," Mito said. "She doesn't look well."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," You resisted. "I'm not hurt. I just need to lie down."

"Shima is driving," Chika added as she slung You's arm over her shoulder. "We'll get you home. Don't bother coming to school or Aqours practice for a few days. Stay home until you recover."

"I can't," You smiled sheepishly. "I have a date tomorrow."

"What?!" Chika shot an incredulous stare at her best friend. "You could barely walk and all you think of is a date?"

"You should've seen him, Chika-chan. He's not strong and tough, and he doesn't have a quirk, but he has nerves of steel. He took out a hairy criminal, big and strong as an _Oni_ , with only a baton. And he looks cute in his uniform, too. He is too skinny for a cop, but that's the way I like it."

Chika looked at Mito. "Is she being serious?"

"I think she gets concussion," Mito replied. "Let's stop by a doctor before we get her home."

"Agreed," Chika said as she continued to carry You toward their car.

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Bakayaro_ : Idiot

 _Junsa_ : Private. The lowest rank of Japanese police officer.

 _Tokushu Butai_ : Japanese SWAT

 _Kusottare_ : Crap (lit. dripping crap) A common Japanese cursing.

Nambu M60: standard pistol for Japanese police officers

 _Ja-ne_ : See you later. TTFN. Peace out. Later-gator.

 _Oni_ : Japanese ogre/troll/demon


	29. Chapter 26

**ACT III**

 **Chapter 26: Worried**

 _ **Uranohoshi Girl High School,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 29**_

It was late November at Numazu, but the thundering speakers turned the center courtyard of Uranohoshi High School into summer party. Young girls at the tender age of 15 congregated around the stage, dancing and singing along with Uranohoshi's – and Numazu's – biggest attraction. No prospective students cared about what Uranohoshi High School had to offer. They just came to see Aqours.

Yosetsu leaned on the fence, watching Chika twist and turn while belting out _Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru Kai_ with the other members of Aqours. Their blue outfit juxtaposed the faded color of Uranohoshi building, as if they were making a statement that no matter how small a city Numazu was, no matter how old and outdated Uranohoshi might be, they were there to keep things shining. Once in a while the orange-haired girl made eye contact with him, smiling while keeping her tune in sync with the music. He felt he could just grab her and kiss her and savor the taste of her lips for the rest of the day.

But he noticed a police officer in the courtyard, and his presence perturbed Yosetsu. What was he looking for in a high school open house? Criminals? A supervillain with powerful quirk? Like, tentacles with sharp blades? The possibility of Hideo Shimada coming to Numazu for Chika was next to zero, but Yosetsu couldn't just dismiss it. If Hiryu Rin's assessment about him was accurate, if he was as capable as Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki and Nejire Hado, then he was capable of tracking down Chika all the way to Numazu. For what purpose, it didn't matter.

Yosetsu's mind started playing tricks on him, giving him nightmares of Chika suffering in the hands of Shimada the way Akiho Suzuki did, to the point he failed to notice that Aqours had finished the show. He didn't notice Chika coming at him until she was two feet away from him.

"How do you like that?" Chika chimed gleefully, oblivious about Yosetsu's state of mind.

"Oh? Like what?" Yosetsu gave her a dumb stare.

"My performance, Silly! What do you think I was talking about?" Chika shoved Yosetsu's shoulder playfully. "What have you been doing? Yosetsu Awase, are you looking at the new girls? Is there someone you're interested in?"

"No! No! No!" Yosetsu quickly grabbed Chika's hand and pulled her into a bear hug. "I was looking at you the entire time! You know I did! You saw me from the stage, didn't you?"

"I know, I know," Chika giggled. "I'm just kidding. Why are you so tensed?"

"Nothing. Hey, why is there a police officer at Uranohoshi Open House?" Yosetsu couldn't help it.

"Oh, that? That is Officer Taro Harisu, You's new boyfriend," Chika replied. "I told you about him."

"You did?"

"I did! What is wrong with you today?" Chika started to notice something was off about Yosetsu. "Come, I'll introduce you to him. He's a very nice guy."

"Wait, wait," Yosetsu recoiled but Chika grabbed his hand and towed him toward the police, who was getting cozy with Chika's best friend You. "Harisu-san, this is Yosetsu Awase, my other half."

"Awase-san, _hajimemashite_ ," the policeman gave him a courtesy nod. "You're a Pro Hero, right?"

"I'm trying to be one, Sir," Yosetsu smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, don't call me Sir, I don't deserve that," the policeman waved it off. "I'm still a rookie."

"Taro-chan is too modest for his own sake," You tuned in. "He was just awarded Order of the Sacred Treasure for single-handedly stopping a supervillain, saving a lot of lives. And he doesn't even have a quirk."

"Wow, that's impressive," Yosetsu said.

"You-chan is too kind," Taro's face turned completely red. "I'm just doing my job."

"Order of the Sacred Treasure is not awarded for doing daily job, Harisu-san," Chika said. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I didn't do it for award. I did it for people I cared about." Taro looked at You. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

"Awwwww…" You rested her head on Taro's shoulder while looking at Chika. "Isn't he adorable?"

"I can't deal with this," Chika feigned aggravation. "You are smitten by the love bug, You-chan! Bad! I can't help you with this! You need to see a doctor!"

"Say, Harisu-san, does your uniform mean that you're on duty?" Yosetsu asked involuntarily.

"Technically yes, but nobody cares if I spend some time watching my girlfriend performs."

"He's the Big Daddy around Numazu. Nobody messes with him," You could not stop bragging. She straightened her posture and spoke with low, husky voice, quoting Robocop, "There's a new guy in town. His name is Taro Harisu!"

But Yosetsu failed to see the humor. "So do you keep this area clean at all times? Do you pay attention to people from out of town?"

Chika shot a dirty stare at Yosetsu.

"Well, we welcome visitors," Taro scratched his head, confused about what Yosetsu was saying. "But I can asure you, Numazu Police Department will do whatever it takes to make the city safe for everybody."

"What about the villain you beat? Did he come from out of town? If yes, why didn't you get him the first time before he did his evil?"

"Don't mind him, he's a little tired after long trip from Musutafu," Chika cut Yosetsu off before Taro could reply. "I'll take him around to clear his mind."

"Enjoy your stay, Awase-san," Taro and You waved.

Chika dragged Yosetsu to a secluded place, then slapped his arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What did I say?" Yosetsu grimaced.

"You questioned him if he did his job! He saved You-chan, his partner, and a dozen security guards from a villain much stronger than him! What more could you ask from him?"

"I did not question what he had done!" Yosetsu snarled. "I just asked if he could have prevented the carnage before it happened. That's a legitimate question! Nothing's wrong with that!"

"Could you?" Chika folded her arms on her chest. "Could All Might do it? Could Endeavor do it? Could Hawks do it?"

"I don't know! That's why I asked!"

"Are you jealous of Harisu-san?"

Yosetsu threw his arms in the air. He wanted to tell Chika that deep down inside he was scared for her safety. He would move to Numazu if he could. But he couldn't, and he agreed that he wouldn't share the Shimada problem with anybody outside Izuku, Ochaco, Momo, and Hiryu. The less Chika knew about Shimada, the better.

"I am not jealous. I'm happy for your friend. I have you. That's all I care." He took Chika's hand. "But I need you to promise me something. Promise me that you will answer my call whenever I call you. In class, at dinner, during performance, at night when you're sleeping…"

"Yosetsu-chan, what is going on?" Chika sensed trouble. "You are not yourself today."

"I'm fine. I'm just… what happened to You-san makes me worry about you," Yosetsu managed to coin a lie at the last minute. "I love you, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Aw, you big softie," Chika smiled. "I will be fine. Hey, just because Numazu doesn't have a squad of Pro Heroes doesn't mean it is defenseless. We have dedicated police officers like Harisu-san that will make sure Numazu is safe for everybody. Don't worry about it too much."

"Just promise me you will always take my calls."

"Alright, alright, I promise!" Chika scoffed. "Trust me, I will be fine. Don't treat me like a little girl. Now, You-chan has been taking his boyfriend to tour Uranohoshi. I think you need it, to relax your mind."

"Alright, lead the way," Yosetsu forced himself to smile.

"Well then, we start with Uranohoshi's swimming pool," Chika hooked her arms around Yosetsu's. "Students use it to swim, obviously, but sometimes Aqours use it as a practice place…"

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru Kai:_ Is Your Heart Shining?

 _Hajimemashite:_ Nice to meet you

Order of the Sacred Treasure: one of Japanese commendation for outstanding service for society


	30. Chapter 27

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Here's the first look at the villain in question. More to come.

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Trap**

 _ **Naha, Okinawa,  
**_ _ **Okinawa Prefecture,  
**_ _ **November 30**_

It was close to midnight, and Pyrrha Nikos leaned on the passenger seat of a USMC humvee as she scrolled through a number of pictures on her phone. She flipped through some damaged USMC vehicles purported by supernatural creatures called Grimms. But when she stopped at a particular image, she let out an exasperation sigh as the image showed an unsettling fact about the most recent attack on USMC operatives.

Pyrrha and Team JNPR had been hunting Grimms in Okinawa for quite a while. The Grimms were 'animals'. They hunted and attacked like animals. The damages caused by Grimms were typical bite marks and claw scratches, those made by wild animals.

The last image, however, showed a completely different damage. The cuts were deeper, longer, and more uniform in size. As if they were made by blades. Some creatures did have blade-like teeth and claws, but it was not impossible that the damages were caused by manmade blades. And if that was true, then they had a much bigger problem than supernatural creatures.

"I know that look," Nora Valkyrie muttered. "Something spooks you."

"This one doesn't look like the rest," Pyrrha mumbled, as if talking to herself. "The incision is longer, deeper, cleaner. Like… a scalpel wound."

"Do you think humans made those cuts?" Lie Ren leaned toward Pyrrha to take a glimpse of her phone.

"I don't know," Pyrrha sighed laboriously. "I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just saying the last Grimm attack is different than typical Grimm attack. And it makes me nervous."

"We'll find out if we get the perpetrators," Jaune chimed from the driver's seat. "We're huntsmen and huntresses. We live for this shit." He looked at Pyrrha, who was still engrossed in her phone. "Do you know how you say huntsman in German? Jaeger. We are Jaegers. The world is coming to an end. What would you rather die as? A peasant, or a Jaeger?"

"Your catalogue of B-movies is quite comprehensive," Pyrrha said halfheartedly.

"Wha… B-movies?! Do you know anything about cinematic industry, Pyrrha?" Jaune wailed.

"Here we go again," Lie Ren massaged his temple.

"Come on, Jaune, we are working here," Nora added.

"Yeah, but seriously, you guys need some education about popular culture!" Jaune continued babbling. "What's a good giant-robot movie for you? Robotech? Battletech? Transform-tech? Those are kiddies' shows!"

"Jaune, you're giving me headache," Pyrrha rubbed her forehead.

Jaune was about to open his mouth when the radio crackled. "Mayday, mayday, we are under attack! Multiple bogeys disabled two humvees! We are pinned in front of Shurijo Castle! Where are the huntsmen?"

Nora quickly checked the map. "That's half a click from here!"

"Saddle up, Jaegers!" Jaune started the car. "We're in for a wild ride!" He shifted the gear and floored the pedal, causing the humvee to jerk violently. Pyrrha's phone flew toward the back seat and hit Lie Ren in the face.

" _Shunsheng de gaowan!_ Learn to drive, will you?!" Lie Ren cried out.

Jaune ignored Lie Ren's comment and gunned the engine like a maniac. The humvee roared in full fury, blasting through the streets like a bull charging a matador. They came at a crossroad and Jaune made a wild right turn, completely disregarding the traffic light. Two cars from the opposite direction slammed their brakes to avoid hitting the humvee, and got rear-ended as a result.

"Hey, hey, you're gonna get us all killed before we get to the Grimm!" Pyrrha barked.

But Jaune was in a trance. He drove the humvee like a man possessed, swerving left and right to avoid other motorists, while blasting the horn. They arrived at the castle within 3 minutes, but it felt like half an hour drive for the rest of the JNPR team.

As soon as the humvee stopped, Pyrrha grabbed her phone and jumped out. Two disabled humvees lied dead in the middle of the street, and some US marines opened fire at all directions. Three wounded marines leaned on the humvees, holding their bloodied arms and legs.

"What are they shooting at?" Lie Ren tried to find a target.

"I don't know! Spread out!" Jaune got out of the humvee and ran toward one of the marines. "What's going on? Where are the attackers?"

"They came out of nowhere!" the marines replied while still shooting blindly. "They're fast, man! Fast! Like ghosts!"

"I don't believe in ghost!" Jaune turned toward his teammates. "Pyrrha! Do you see anything?"

Pyrrha turned her javelin into a sniper rifle and tried to take a shot at the enemy. The muzzle flash from the marines hampered her vision, but when the marines stopped to reload, she got a clear shot at _something_ at the top of Shurijo Castle. It was of a humanoid form and smaller than typical Grimm she had encountered. She took the shot, but the _thing_ dodged it, much to her amazement.

"What is it? What is it?" Nora and Jaune came by her side.

"I don't know, but it was not Grimm," Pyrrha replied. "No Grimm can beat my shot! I'm gonna check it out!"

"Nora, stay with Lie Ren! I'm going with Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled.

Pyrrha ran toward the castle but her ears caught something wheezing behind her back. She quickly turned around and raised her shield, a split second before two shiny metal things lodged themselves into it. She turned to inspect her shield, and she thought she was dreaming.

"Shuriken?!" she gasped. "Are we fighting… ninjas?"

"Nora, Lie Ren, find that backstabbing ninja!" Jaune snarled. "I'm going after the other one!"

"Jaune, wait!" Pyrrha dislodged the shurikens from her shield and went after Jaune, but the blonde team lead had already disappeared behind the castle. She jumped to the top of the castle and tried to take aim at anything that looked like a ninja, but she couldn't see anybody within half a mile radius. Even Jaune's shining white armor and shield were not visible.

Pyrrha perched at the top of the castle, trying to find something to shoot at, but Jaune and the 'ninja' seemed to disappear into the night. She sat there for a while, weighing the situation. The image of the damage of the attacked USMC properties started to make sense. The deep, long incisions could come from ninja weapons. But how could a few ninja beat a squad of highly-trained US marines? _Combat 101: Bullets beat blades_. Something didn't make sense. Maybe they were not ordinary ninjas. Maybe they were ninjas with quirks. And quirks made Pyrrha uneasy.

Pyrrha wished Momo was here.

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up. It was Nora. "Pyrrha, we spotted the ninja but he took off. Lie Ren took some shots, but we don't know if he made contact or not. I called Jaune but he's not answering. Where are you?"

"I'm still at the castle," Pyrrha replied. "Both the _thing_ and Jaune disappeared."

"Looks like he's having fun with the ninja," Nora scoffed. "We hunt supernatural animals, goddammit! We don't hunt ninjas!"

"I don't think we're fighting ninjas," Pyrrha said slowly. "The ninjas are just distraction. There's something else behind the ninjas."

"A trap?"

"Possibly, and Jaune dove head first into it. Stay with the marines. I'm gonna find Jaune."

As Nora hung up, Pyrrha called Jaune's cellphone. He didn't answer, but she spotted a flicker of light on the ground not far from her position. She turned her rifle into javelin and jumped off the castle. She landed on a dark alley and inched toward Jaune's phone. It lied on the ground, and still no Jaune. Pyrrha waited behind a wall for several minutes, listening to the surrounding, then made her way toward Jaune's phone.

And then, she saw Jaune. And the 'ninja'. But not the way she expected.

The 'ninja' was actually somebody – a human – wearing an elbow-length hoodie and black athletic pants. His face was completely covered by the hood, so Pyrrha couldn't see it. Jaune was laying spread eagle under the black-hooded guy. _Something_ came out of the hood, like 4 long tendrils, piercing Jaune's hands and feet, nailing him to the ground. Pyrrha could hear his teeth rattling, and she knew it was not from the cold.

"What... the… hell… are you?" Pyrrha hissed.

"Pyrrha… Run!" Jaune cried out.

Too late. The guy retracted his tendrils, causing Jaune to scream in pain. In a split second Pyrrha could see the tip of the tendrils, sharp as katanas, glimmering under the light of the moon. The bladed tendrils rushed at her, and instinctively she raised her shield, but the tendrils went through her shield inches away from her face. She got a good look at the blades that pierced her shield, still dripping with Jaune's blood.

The mysterious guy retracted his tendrils and pulled a chunk from Pyrrha's shield. He launched another attack, this time directed at Pyrrha's legs. But Pyrrha dropped her shield and jumped behind a building. Seconds later the bladed tendrils blasted through the wall, looking for Pyrrha's head. Pyrrha rolled on the ground, turned her javelin into a rifle, and opened fire at the guy. The guy sidestepped her salvoes, then launched another tendril attack. Pyrrha jumped onto a parked car, but the guy whipped his tendrils sideways. One of the bladed tendrils scratched Pyrrha's boot. Pyrrha winced as her calf felt like burning.

Acknowledging her disadvantage at long range, Pyrrha jumped off the car and activated her 'quirk'. The car levitated, then zipped toward the guy. The guy flinched, and the car rolled raucously on the street until it crashed into another parked car. Pyrrha continued her assault, strafing the guy with any metal objects in her vicinity, keeping him on the defensive while she charged him. The guy was forced to use his tendrils to parry the metal objects – cans, shopping carts, lunch boxes, benches – and couldn't stop Pyrrha from coming to point-blank range.

As soon as she came into range, Pyrrha used her long leg to kick the guy right in the midst. The guy flew backward but his tendrils suspended him midair. He lunged at Pyrrha, but the huntress roundhouse-kicked him on the side. A muffled groan escaped him, and Pyrrha noticed it as a male's voice. She shoved her javelin at the guy's hood, but the tendrils wrapped itself around the javelin and tried to pull it off her hand. Pyrrha let go of her javelin, a move that discombobulated the guy, then dropped to her knee to kick the guy's shin. Again a pained cry echoed, and the guy teetered behind. Pyrrha used her magnetic 'quirk' to retrieve her javelin, then lunged at the guy full force.

But even though the guy was hurt, he was still a formidable combatant. His tendrils dashed toward Pyrrha's face. Pyrrha had no choice but to flinch. The tendrils wrapped around Pyrrha's left arm guard. Running out of space, Pyrrha extended the length of her javelin and shoved it hard at the guy's throat. But the guy swatted Pyrrha's javelin off her hand. Pyrrha used her 'quirk' to control her javelin, but the guy tightened his tendrils around Pyrrha's left arm, destroying her concentration. One of the blades sneaked under Pyrrha's arm guard and started piercing her skin. Pyrrha let out a desperate groan as she grabbed the tendril with her right hand, keeping it from piercing her flesh.

The two were locked in a battle of will until the guy picked up Pyrrha's javelin and limped heavily toward her. Pyrrha used her 'quirk' to pry her javelin from the guy's grip, but everytime she activated her 'quirk', the guy shoved his blade deeper into her arm guard. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the tendril with all her might, but the situation seemed lost, now that the guy had her javelin.

But in a critical moment, Lie Ren suddenly arrived and fired his twin hand guns at the guy. He quickly recoiled and retracted his tendrils. Nora came two steps behind Lie Ren and wasted no time launching her grenades. A few marines came to help and opened fire at the guy's last known position. The alley went alive with fireballs and muzzle flashes. But when everything dissipated, the guy was gone, and there was no sign of him, dead or alive.

"How could he get away from that?" Lie Ren bemoaned. "We gave him everything we had! No human nor Grimm could escape such firepower! I'm going after it!"

"No! Lie Ren, don't!" Pyrrha yelled. "You said it yourself: that thing was not human. It dismantled Jaune easily and almost got me. We are not prepared against it. Let it go; we'll fight it another day."

"Where is Jaune?" Nora said worriedly. She turned until she saw him lying on the ground. "Oh crap! Jaune is hurt! Call medics!" She rushed toward Jaune and held his head. Lie Ren followed suit. Some civilians got out of their places and congregated around Jaune. Some of them brought bandages to stop the bleeding.

As Jaune was being tended, Pyrrha inspected the carnage, hoping to get some clue as to who, or what, she fought a few minutes ago. Accidentally she spotted a store in the area with a CCD camera hanging on the ceiling. It gave her an idea.

"Does anybody know the owner of this store?" she asked the crowd.

"Yes, the family lives a few blocks away from here," somebody replied.

"Can you call them? I need to see the recording of that camera…"

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Shunsheng de gaowan:_ Holy testicles. Again, from _Firefly_.


	31. Chapter 28

**Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Yes, Pyrrha 'got lucky' on the last chapter (literally :lol: )

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Stand**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 1**_

When the blurry pictures appeared on her phone, Momo went livid.

"How did he find Pyrrha?" she wheezed as she paced the floor. "How could the sonofabitch pinpoint Pyrrha's location? Okinawa is 1000 miles away from Tokyo! And they have never met before!"

"It might not be 'him'," Izuku offered a logical explanation.

"Look at this!" Momo showed the blurry image on her phone. Izuku, Ochaco, Yosetsu, and Hiryu squinted to get a clear look at the CCD picture. But the monochrome image was too blurry to interpret. There were some clear streaks of 'something', like vines or tentacles, but the rest of the picture was very dark.

"Those do look like some tentacles," Yosetsu muttered. "But I'm not so sure. Rin?"

"I've never met the bastard," Hiryu shrugged. "I don't even know what I'm looking at."

"Even if those were tentacles, Shimada can't be the only one who has them," Ochaco mused. "Surely there are other people who have quirks that look like that. Tamaki Amajiki's quirk looks like that. Ibara Shiozaki's hair may look like that. I'm not saying they are responsible for the attack, but still…"

"Pyrrha said that the attack might be directed at her," Momo sighed. "Somehow he knew Pyrrha was working with USMC at Okinawa. He intentionally attacked the USMC operatives to flush her out. He hurt Pyrrha's team lead as a trap. As soon as he saw her, he left everything and went straight at her."

"But why?" Yosetsu cringed. "She never met him. You never met him. What did you do to piss him off?"

"I don't know," Momo threw her arms in the air. "I just don't know."

"We can't just speculate. We need absolution," Izuku put forward his thought. "None of us know what Shimada's quirk looks like. We can barely see anything on that picture. Those streaks, they might not even be tentacles."

"They are tentacles," Momo replied. "Pyrrha said they were tentacles. The problem is we don't know if it was Shimada's quirk or not, because none of us has seen what Shimada's quirk looks like."

"There is one who has," Yosetsu looked at Hiryu.

"What, Akiho?" Hiryu shook his head in hesitation. "I don't think this is the right time."

"We have no choice," Yosetsu argued. "She is the only one that has seen his quirk. She can confirm if that 'thing' in the picture was Shimada or not."

"You don't understand what he had done to her," Hiryu said. "She just wants peace. Seeing this picture will bring up traumatic memory."

"It will sting, and she will bleed again, but she has a chance to save a lot of people. Don't you think she wants it?" Ochaco took a deep breath. "I believe there's a hero inside every human, quirk or no quirk. Ask her. Tell her what we've been doing, and ask her if she wants to be a part of this. If she says no, we'll find another way."

"I'll check with security if Shimada badged out yesterday," Izuku offered some middle ground. "Whenever he goes through UA Barrier, the computer should record his badge. If Shimada did not leave UA when Pyrrha was attacked, we can put this whole mess to rest. But if he left UA during the attack, then we need Suzuki-san to confirm if it was Shimada in the picture. I think that's fair."

Hiryu took a deep, exasperated breath before conceding, "Alright, I'll ask her. But if she doesn't want anything to do with Shimada, you have to find another way to identify the picture!"

"Then let's wait for Midoriya," Momo said. "If Shimada indeed left UA during the attack, then we have no choice but to go to Suzuki-san. He's already one step ahead of us, and Suzuki-san might be the key to put us back in equal footing."

* * *

When Akiho saw the CCD image on Momo's phone, her face turned white.

"Is this Shimada?" Momo asked.

"I uh… I'm not sure…" Akiho's voice trembled.

"Maybe this is not a good idea," Hiryu blocked Akiho from Momo.

"We agreed about this!" Momo came at Hiryu with flame in her eyes.

"Do you realize what you're doing to her?" Hiryu stood from his chair and stared deep into Momo's eyes. "You're opening her old wound! You'll make her remember all those things she tried so hard to forget!"

"Rin, listen to me," Momo said. "He hurt your girlfriend, and he tried to hurt mine. It's time we put a stop to his madness."

"I want him out more than anybody in this room, but not at the cost of Akiho's well being!"

"It's going to hurt but it will not get better if we don't fix this problem!" Momo gritted her teeth. "Now step aside and let me ask her a few questions!"

"Yayoumomo, let me handle this," Ochaco stepped in between Momo and Hiryu. "Rin, we all feel for Suzuki-san, but we agreed that this was the route we were going to take. Deku-chan confirmed with security that Shimada checked out of UA a day before the attack, and as of now he hasn't returned. He is still out there. We need to know if he was responsible, and most importantly, how he found out about Pyrrha-san, because Pyrrha-san is not the only loved one outside UA."

"Do you expect me to stand here and watch the one I care so much suffered because of your ambition?" Hiryu growled. "All she wants is for these to go away! Now you have to come and shove things on her face…"

"Fei Long-chan, that's OK," suddenly Akiho grabbed Hiryu's arm and gently tugged at him.

"You don't have to do this," Hiryu said.

"I want to," Akiho bit her lips, fighting back tears. "Uraraka-san is right. I have been selfish. I hurt you and many others by keeping this for myself. It's time for me to end this."

"Suzuki-san, I know this hurts, but we need you," Ochaco grabbed Akiho's hand. "Do you recognize anything in the picture?"

"That's him," Akiho whimpered. "That's Shimada's quirk. I will not forget his tentacles. He used in on me for his amusement."

" _Biaoziyangde_!" Rin muttered while wrapping his arms around her.

"This sonofabitch uses his quirk on civilians," Yosetsu whispered to Izuku. "That's against the law. We've got to crucify this guy!"

"Yeah, but how? We have no proof," Izuku whispered back, almost like muttering to himself. "Principal Nezu will not take Suzuki's words to make a case against Shimada. The picture from Pyrrha is a long shot at best. He will not consider it either. We need hard evidence not even Shimada can deny."

"Suzuki-san, why did Shimada attack Pyrrha?" Momo asked.

"Because it's what he likes to do," Akiho sniffed. "He liked to play with his enemies by hurting things that they hold dear. He 'engineered' the vandalism on Class 1-B stage to hurt Fei Long… Hiryu… Rin…. As soon as I heard the vandalism, I knew it was him."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't have a proof. Nobody would believe me."

"I would've," Hiryu said. "You should've told me."

"I'm sorry," Akiho bowed her head and stared at her own feet. "I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

"What about Pyrrha's location?" Momo pressed on. "How did he find her?"

"I don't know, but Shimada has a knack to find out everything about anybody, especially those he considers as threats," Akiho said somberly. "I thought I could break up with Fei Long-chan before the new semester so Shimada didn't know about him. But he did. I don't know how he did it but he did."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hiryu said. "Why did you suffer alone?"

"I'm sorry," Akiho said with tears running down her face. "I made a bad decision in the past, and I don't want you to be a part of it because I love you. I always do."

"I'm already a part of it," Hiryu wrapped his arms around Akiho and let her sob in his chest. "It was stupid of me to miss the clues. I should have known you better. But you don't have to be scared anymore. From now on I will never leave your side."

"He's going to hurt you to hurt me, and he's going to hurt your friends to hurt you."

"He already hurt us," Yosetsu spat. "It didn't work. If anything, it made our bond stronger. If I broke this news to Class B, everybody would line up behind Rin in a heartbeat."

"Remember what Rin said about Shimada being in the same league as Togata, Hado, and Amajiki," Momo said. "He's too strong even for the entire Class 1-B. We can't fight him that way. We have to find his weakness, exploit it, and force him to make a mistake."

"That's easier said than done," Yosetsu scoffed. "How do we find his weakness?"

"We must get into his head. Explore his world. See the world from his eyes." Momo leaned on the wall, looking at something through the window. "It's a job for the Invisible Girl."

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Biaoziyangde:_ Sonofabitch (literally raised by a whore). True Chinese expletive, not from _Firefly_.


	32. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Initiative**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** We get to see Toru in action!

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 2**_

Toru Hakagure couldn't believe what Izuku and Ochaco asked her to do.

"Are you out of your mind?" she raved. "You want me to go into a _senpai_ 's dorm room… naked?"

"You do realize that we can see you _because_ you're wearing clothes, don't you?" Izuku replied.

"I'm aware of my quirk but that's beyond the point!" Toru said, half yelling. "What if one of them has a quirk that can see me? What if there is a quirk that can make me visible? I will be a laughingstock throughout the entire school! 'Freshman girl walking around naked on 2nd grade dorm'! I will be humiliated for the rest of my life! People will not take me seriously anymore!"

"The chance is very slim," Ochaco tried to calm down Toru. "We have never heard a quirk like that. And if there is one, it's not in this school."

"If there is one in this school, it is not in the same floor as this _senpai_ ," Izuku added. "I checked. This particular _senpai_ lives on the second floor. One of the dorm rooms in that floor is empty, and the rest are occupied by students with transformation-type quirks. As long as you don't come in contact with any of them, nobody knows you are there."

"What do you have against this _senpai_?" Toru grumbled. "Why do you want me to sneak into his room?"

"Well, he may be responsible for Class 1-B vandalism during Cultural Festival," Izuku said. "There are other offenses that he may be linked to. But we don't that for a fact, so we need you to sneak into his room and take photographs of his stuffs."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, just take photos of his room."

"Why don't you just report this to Aizawa-sensei, or Principal Nezu?" Toru sneered. "Do you think you are some kind of detectives, taking things into your own hands?"

"We know he has his hands dirty with a few offenses, but we can't prove it. We need something to make Principal Nezu, or even the police, believe that this guy is as bad as villains out there."

"Police?" Toru swallowed hard. "What are you guys getting involved in?"

"Hagakure-chan, we're not going to lie to you," Ochaco held Toru's hands. "This guy attacked civilians with his quirk. We have to stop him before he seriously hurt somebody. So please, help us. Help us build a case against him so the police, or at least Principal Nezu, could take necessary action against him."

Toru paused, pondering about Izuku's and Ochaco's request. In the end she squeezed Ochaco's hand, blurting, "You owe me big one!"

"Thank you, you can ask me anything," Ochaco chimed.

"Alright, here's what we are going to do," Izuku said. "You and I are going to wait outside his room early morning tomorrow. When he gets out, I will distract him before he closes his door, so you can slip in. Once you're in, Ochaco will send your phone from outside. Grab the phone through the window, then take photographs of anything in his room. After that you can just get out from the door. All 2nd grade students should be going to class so the dorm will be empty."

"We should be in class too, shouldn't we?" Toru spat.

"We'll call in sick tomorrow," Ochaco said. "Yaomomo is in the league with us. She'll stand behind our condition."

"Just this once," Izuku added. "We'll be eternally grateful."

"This is not a charity, you know that!" Toru grumbled. "I'll lend you my quirk, but in the future I will request something of equal value, and you will have to do it no matter what!"

"Deal," Izuku and Ochaco said almost at the same time. "Thank you, Hagakure-chan. We appreciate your help."

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 3**_

It was barely eight but Izuku and Toru had already stood by the second floor of the Class 2A dorm. They could faintly hear something bumping into the wall and dishes clattering, hints that the upperclassmen were getting ready for class. There were 8 rooms in the floor, Shimada's was the second from the elevator.

"A few minutes more," Izuku whispered. "Hagakure, are you still here?"

"Of course I'm still here! What do you think?" Toru was still upset that she had to go butt naked to a dorm of upperclassmen. "You have no idea how undignified this is!"

"I really appreciate it," Izuku said.

"I'm not doing this for you! I gave Uraraka-chan my word. She is my friend, and I'm not about to let her down! You're lucky to be with her, you know that? Last time I checked, Bakugo was hot on her tail."

"That's not how it went!" Izuku huffed. "He was dating her to make me look good! He was helping me!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Midoriya, but statistics don't lie. 'Kachaco' gained more fan base than any other couple in our school."

"I knew this was coming back to bite me in the future," Izuku muttered, just as an upperclassman came out of the door. "Alright, showtime!" He rushed toward the 2nd grade student and greeted him boisterously. " _Senpai!_ I'm Izuku Midoriya from Class 1A! I am starting a Dodgeball club in UA! It's a lot of fun! Please sign up!"

"Dodgeball?!" the upperclassman cringed. "That's a children's game!"

"It is actually played by children and adults alike. There are leagues and sanctioned tournaments. You can watch professional Dodgeball at ESPN 8 'The Ocho'."

"Sorry, I'm late for class," the student brushed Izuku off.

Another student came out of his room. Izuku 'enthusiastically' lunged at him. " _Senpai!_ Are you interested in Dodgeball club? Sign up and help 1st grade students with a good cause!"

"Who the hell are you? How did you get up here?" this student was less sympathetic than the first. "I'm calling the resident assistant!"

"No harm done, _Senpai_! Just sign here and I'll be out of your way!" Izuku shoved a fake sign-up sheet at the upperclassman's face.

"Get off me! This is invasion of privacy! I'm calling the principal!" the student yelled and picked up his phone. "Damn first graders!"

Izuku's near-riot ruckus caught the attention of the rest of the residents on that floor, including Izuku's intended target, Hideo Shimada. As soon as his door opened Izuku pounced at him. It was the first time he came face to face with the man: a gaunt teenager with shaggy hair and lazy eyes, showing nothing sort of a psychopathic maniac they believed he was. " _Senpai_! I'm Izuku Midoriya from Class 1A! Are you interested in a Dodgeball club?"

"What? No! I'm not interested in any club!" Shimada cocked his brows. Izuku could see that although Shimada was aggravated by his antics, the upperclassman was actually inspecting him, trying to find a hidden agenda behind his prompt and rowdy intrusion. He understood why Shimada was a very dangerous individual, and he knew he had to make his act straight so Shimada didn't suspect anything.

"If I could have 5 minutes of your time, _Senpai_ , I bet I could change your mind," Izuku said as he 'involuntary' pushed Shimada's door wider to provide space for Toru to sneak in. "It's an easy, fun, and addicting game to play. The rule is simple: you just have to remember 5D of Dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and… dodge. Five simple rules and you can play for hours."

"I said I'm not interested!" Shimada curtly sneered. "Now leave or I will call security!"

Izuku felt a light nudge on his back, a sign from Toru that she was in position. "Very well, _Senpai_ , if you change your mind you know where to find me. I'm Izuku Midoriya from Class 1A."

Izuku quickly dashed toward the stairs, just as the rude upperclassman came out of the elevator with the resident assistant. He drew his phone and called Ochaco. "Hey. Toru's in. Watch out for Shimada, he's coming out. Brown hair, skinny, lazy eyes…"

"I see him," Ochaco said as she stood outside of the building. She watched as the guy hobbled toward the classroom. "He's limping. Bad. Pyrrha must've gotten him good."

"If Pyrrha can hurt him, then maybe he's not as dangerous as we believe he is."

"Don't underestimate him yet," Ochaco looked for a sign from Toru. One of the windows flew open. "Toru gave me a sign. I gotta go." She hung up on Izuku and grabbed Toru's phone. She made it float, slowly higher and higher, until it hovered over the opened window. Suddenly the phone zipped through the window. A second later her phone beeped.

"Alright, if I had to go through this much trouble to spy on a _senpai_ , you'd better be right," Toru whispered on the phone. "What do you want me to photograph?"

"Everything. Paint his room. Don't leave a spot unchecked," Ochaco replied.

"Alright." Toru hung up on Ochaco, and after 3 minutes, she called back. "Done. I'm sending you the pictures."

"Thanks, Hagakure, you're a good friend," Ochaco replied. "Now get out of there quick!"

* * *

Later that day, Izuku, Ochaco, Momo, Yosetsu and Hiryu met at Ochaco's dorm room to review the pictures. Toru didn't want any part of this, so they let her go, but not before Ochaco made her swear that she wouldn't tell anybody about it. Ochaco hooked up her phone to her computer monitor to make the picture bigger.

Shimada's room was borderline mundane. He obviously didn't invest much time decorating his room. His books were scattered on the floor. His desk, however, was full with a smorgasbord of things which, disturbingly, the first-graders knew by heart.

"That's my pen!" Ochaco pointed at something on the corner. "I lost it three weeks ago. I felt really bad because it was a gift from my parents."

"That's my earring," Momo added. "And Pyrrha's earring! How did he get Pyrrha's earring?"

"Maybe he grabbed it when he attacked her," Izuku tried to make sense of the situation.

"No, Pyrrha lost her earring during the Cultural Festival."

"Chika lost her hair clip during the Cultural Festival too," Yosetsu tuned in. "Maybe this guy…" he looked at the computer monitor closer. " _Chikuso_ … that's it! That's Chika's hair clip! How did he come to possession of Chika's hair clip?"

"I can see five or six of Akiho's hair bands, but she dated him before," Hiryu said halfheartedly. "Still, it's sick to hang on to these stuffs long after they broke up. What is he doing with these items?"

"What is he, a kleptomaniac?" Yosetsu groused. "So he used his super-fast tentacles to steal people's stuffs?"

"This is creepy," Ochaco said and wrapped her arms around Izuku.

"I have a hunch there is more to it," Momo rubbed his temple. "He had my earring, he had Pyrrha's earring, he attacked Pyrrha… these events are connected. I just can't figure out how." She flopped onto Ochaco's bed. "We got more information about Shimada but we can't find the silver lining between facts. I wish Pyrrha were here. She has a keen sense of small things."

"I'll talk to Akiho in the morning. Maybe she can remember something," Hiryu rose and walked to the door. "I'm calling it a day. Goodnight everybody."

"Me too," Momo got up from Ochaco's bed. "I'll talk to Pyrrha tomorrow. Goodnight."

"This is getting weirder and weirder," Yosetsu followed suit. "I'm going to sleep it off. Keep me in touch."

"Goodnight," Izuku said and waited until everybody went out of the room. He turned to Ochaco, "I guess I'll go back to my room. Goodnight."

"Uhm, Deku-kun," Ochaco said. "Could you uh… maybe… stay here for tonight?"

"Are you sure?" the question was more rhetorical than quizzical.

"Yeah, well, it's just…" Ochaco's face turned beet red. "That _senpai_ gave me the creeps. I don't want to be alone tonight… if that's OK by you."

Of course it was OK by Izuku. "Uhm, alright, I'll stay here. Where do you want me?"

"Here," Ochaco smiled as she patted the empty space in her bed. "With me."

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Senpai_ : Upperclassman

 _Chikuso_ : common Japanese expletive


	33. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30** : **Aquarium Distress**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Maybe I took too much liberty on Toru. I thought she would be upset that she had to walk around naked. I'll do more research on her.

* * *

 _ **Izu Mito Sea Paradise,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 5**_

It was not supposed to be complicated. Aqours was scheduled to perform at Izu Mito Sea Paradise. All they needed to do was to go out to the stage and perform routines that they had practiced many times, including their brand new song Koi Ni Naritai Aquarium, in which You Watanabe would sing lead vocal for the first time ever. The expectation was low, and it was supposed to be a walk in the park.

But of course, nothing ever came easy for Aqours.

"We have an unexpected situation," the aquarium manager told them as they were waiting in the dressing room. "Some delinquents have vandalized the equipment. We have to delay your show. But Officer Taro Harisu is working hard to deal with the problem while our technicians are on the spot fixing the equipments."

"What? Who would do such things?" Mari blurted.

"Why does this sound familiar?" Chika added. "What's up with these people, attacking stages?"

"Bad Omen," Yoshiko joined in. "Somebody in our ranks has angered the Dark Prince."

"Do you have any idea why somebody wants to sabotage our performance?" You tuned in. She had been dating Taro Harisu for some time she started to sound like a police officer.

"The aquarium has been receiving complaints from an animal-rights group," Taro explained. "They are protesting the way it treats the animals. It is most likely the perpetrators are linked to this group, but that's only our initial assumption. We'll know for sure if we can get a hold of the culprit."

"How long is this delay?" Dia snorted.

"At least 20 minutes to fix the equipment, but I will make a call when it is safe to perform. I don't want you to perform with threats. I'll keep you posted." Taro followed the manager to get out of the dressing room, but stopped at the door and smiled at You. "I can't wait to see you on stage."

" _Kawaii_ , _zura_ ," Hanamaru teased You. "It's nice to have a guardian angel like him."

"He was talking to everybody," You tried to downplay Taro's last comment. "He's a police officer. It's his job to make sure everybody is safe."

"No, he doesn't make sure we're safe. He makes sure _you're_ safe," Kanan joked. "We're safe because we hang out with you."

"Kanan-chan, it's not like that," You's face turned red but she couldn't hide a smug smile on her lips.

The other girls take turns teasing You and her relationship with the police officer. Chika was happy for her best friend, but she couldn't help feeling jealous… and lonely. So she called Yosetsu. "Hey, Babe! What are you doing?"

"I'm training with my friends for the upcoming Joint Training against Class 1-A," Yosetsu replied. "How about you? How did the concert go?"

"Well, we have a little hiccup. Someone vandalized the equipments. Funny, right? Feels like yesterday this thing took place at UA. But we'll get things sorted out, eventually. Harisu-san is working on the case. He's a hotshot cop in Numazu. He'll get it done."

There was an eerie silence from the other side of the phone link, before Yosetsu's ragged voice sprang, "Vandals?"

"I know, right? History repeats itself."

"You know what, cancel the show. Call in sick or something. Tell them you don't feel comfortable performing in such situation."

"Cancel?" Chika was unprepared to hear Yosetsu's reaction. "Just because of vandals?"

"It is not safe for you and the rest of Aqours!"

"They are just vandals, Yosetsu-chan! There's no need to overreact!"

"You have no idea what you're dealing with! They may be henchmen of some hidden mastermind and use vandalism to cover their true intention!"

"I know what vandals are, Yosetsu-chan! Don't treat me like a little girl!" Chika started to get annoyed. She didn't understand why Yosetsu was overreacting. He might still be irritated by the vandals during UA Cultural Festival, but he acted like it was a traumatic experience.

"I just want you to be safe," Yosetsu ranted.

"I'm fine. I told you, Harisu-san is working on it. He'll get everything straight. The manager told us it was going to be a few-minute delay. Nothing to worry about."

"Alright, if you insist, I'm coming over. But don't start until I get there."

Chika's head started to throb. "Yosetsu-chan, what's gotten into you? You can't hold the concert for 3 hours! And what about your friends? They depend on you. You have your own responsibility."

"Anything for you, Babe. Everything else can wait."

"No, no, no, this is not acceptable," Chika huffed in frustration. "I am fine. We are fine. We are capable of taking care of ourselves. Nothing's gonna happen. You have to trust me, Yosetsu-chan. You cannot come to Numazu for every little mishap that happens to me."

"Chika, Babe, you don't know what you're dealing with…"

"I know what I'm dealing with. A few animal lovers try to sabotage our concert to protest the aquarium's treatment of animals. It's not even directed at me. I am fine. As soon as they take care of the situation, we'll be up on the stage and perform as planned…"

Chika was busy arguing with Yosetsu she didn't realize that the manager, Taro Harisu, and her friends were watching her with great interest.

"Is everything alright, Takami?" the aquarium manager said.

"Oh… uhm, yes, ha ha," Chika grinned awkwardly. "You know… overprotective boyfriend…" She returned to her phone, "The manager's here. I'll call you back." She turned it off and turned to the manager, "Yes, Sir?"

"We caught the perpetrator," Taro explained. "He's just a troubled kid who doesn't even have anything to do with animal-rights group. There's no particular motive, just a spiteful individual who doesn't like things going in the right direction. My partners brought him to headquarters and called his parents. I will stay here to keep things in order." He turned to You and winked. "Of course, I'm not about to miss this show!"

"You're up in 10 minutes," the manager concluded.

"Yes Sir!" Chika nodded enthusiastically, then called Yosetsu. "Hey. The police got the guy. We're up in 10 minutes. I told you, we're fine."

"Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't handle the news well," Yosetsu replied.

"Is everything alright with you, Yosetsu-chan?" Chika mused. "Your voice is… discerning."

"Maybe I'm just tired," Yosetsu sulked.

"Alright, I'll call you tonight. If there is anything you want to talk about, I'll listen," Chika felt Yosetsu was holding something back from her. "I gotta go now. I love you."

"I love you. Good luck and please be safe." Yosetsu replied then hung up.

Chika stuffed her phone in her satchel and started walking toward the door when You approached her. "Is everyting alright between you and Yosetsu-san?" she asked.

"Yes… maybe… I don't know…" Chika sighed. "He's been edgy for the last few weeks. I told him about our situation, and he reacted as if we were dealing with a serial killer. He thought it was not safe to perform and persuaded me to cancel the show."

"Maybe he's just being protective."

"I know. It's cute and annoying at the same time." Chika took a few deep breaths, then returned to her bubbly self. "But don't worry about him. The show must go on. And last time I checked, it's your show!"

"I know," You smiled nervously. "I don't know how to do this, Chika-chan. I've never sang lead vocal before, let alone in front of _him_."

"Here's a little trick from somebody that has been there, done that," Chika leaned toward You and whispered. "Look into his eyes and sing your heart out. Nothing else matters. Just you and him."

"Did it work?" You whispered back.

"Like a charm," Chika winked.

"Girls! Girls!" Riko called out from the door. "Showtime!"

"Alright, let's do this!" You grabbed Chika's hand and led her to the door. "I want to fall in love in Aquarium!"

 _Akuariumu de futari ga deau fantajii  
_ _Fui ni tokimeku no sore wa koi no mahou  
_ _Akuariumu de (Yeah!) kidzuite mune no oku ni himeteta  
_ _Hontou no kimochi kore kara sunao ni natte tsugi kara daitan ni natte miyou  
_ _Daisuki yo mou kakusanai (nai!)  
_ _Fantastic love Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!_

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Kawaii_ : cute.

 _Koi Ni Naritai Aquarium_ : I want to fall in love Aquarium. I'm not translating the lyrics.


	34. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Escape**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Just like any other couple, they have to overcome obstacles in their relationship. But the more obstacles they overcome they stronger their relationship is.

* * *

 _ **Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 10**_

Like any other high school teenager in the world, Toru Hagakure liked to go window shopping at the mall. The mall had many stores that sold items for many different quirks. And if there were no interesting quirk equipments to drool over, she could always check out the latest fashion. She was, after all, invisible, so clothings were the most important part of her presence.

But most of the time she window-shopped alone, and today she wished she brought a friend.

Toru was looking at some hula shirts while picturing Rikido Sato, her classmate that piqued her interest as of late, when somebody bumped her from behind. She turned to see who it was, and she almost bit her tongue. A young man with medium-lengh brown hair and lazy eyes stood behind her, looking straight into her eyes. She saw him before; it was the upperclassman whose dorm she sneaked into. One that, according to Izuku, was responsible for the vandalism of Class 1-B during the Cultural Festival. One that, according to Ochaco, liked to use his quirk on civilians. One that, according to her own imagination, knew she sneaked into his room like a _yandere_.

" _S-S-Senpai_?" she stammered. She realized she shouldn't have called him _senpai_. Now the guy knew she knew about him. But she was scared out of her mind. She spoke without thinking.

"I don't think we have been properly introduced," the guy flashed a small smile. "I'm Hideo Shimada, Class 2-A."

"I'm uh… Toru, Hagakure, Class 1-A," Toru shaky voice slipped past her lips.

"Hagakure-san, nice to meet you," Shimada said coldly. "So… what do you think about my room?"

Toru thought she was dead. That job was a bad idea. She always had a feeling that somebody would see her. Now that Shimada knew she sneaked into his room naked, he could easily humiliate her, or report her to Principal Nezu, or worse, expose her to social media.

But his ice-cold expression told her that he wasn't going to do any of those. His plan was far worse.

"I don't understand, _Senpai_ ," Toru said nervously.

"I know you came to visit the other day," Shimada stated halfheartedly, but his eyes pierced Toru's own with terrible intensity. "You should've told me if you wanted to spend some time together, so we could have a proper date."

As nervous as she was, Toru realized something from Shimada's comment. He didn't know Toru entered his room, but someone or something made him aware of her presence later on. She didn't remember seeing a security camera inside his room – and even if there were one, Ochaco would have alerted her. No, someone must have seen her and told him. It was the only possibility. But who? Who could have possibly seen her?

"But I was never in your room, _Senpai_ ," Toru threw a last-ditch attempt to get away from the creepy upperclassman. "I don't even know your place."

"Perhaps this will jog your memory," Shimada hissed. To her absolute horror, part of his head drooped down into a blob of flesh, then molded into half a dozen tendrils. Two of them wrapped around Toru's wrist, the rest of them morphed into blades. "Now let's get to know each other. What were you looking for?"

Shoppers started to scream in panic as Shimada's blades inched closer toward Toru's head. Toru heard snippets about him being cast off the front line of UA Hero Program, and she could see why. He showed no hesitation using his quirk in public for reasons other than fighting crime. He abused his quirk. He would surely get disciplinary action if UA knew about this.

But Toru didn't care about UA disciplinary action at the moment. She had to get out of Shimada's grip, but with 4 sharp blades pointing at her forehead, she didn't have a lot of options. However, considering Shimada used his quirk in public with reckless abandon, it was only fair if she did the same. She could always argue it was for self defense. She directed all light through her body and shot it at Shimada's face. Shimada cringed and covered his remaining eye with his hand, losing his grip on Toru's arm in the process. Toru didn't waste the opportunity. She yanked her arm free and bolted toward the exit of the store.

The quirk exchange between Toru and Shimada generated chaos in the mall. Shoppers started to call the cops, and mall securities tried to take control of the situation. Toru kept on running. She joined the stampede getting out of the mall like a flash flood. Once outside, she ran as fast as she could to the street. She hailed the first available taxicab and told the driver to get her to UA High School as soon as possible. Inside, she lied down in the back seat so Shimada couldn't see her through the back window

"Is something bothering you, Ma'am?" the cab driver asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"No! I'm fine! Just get me to UA High School as fast as you can!" Toru replied between gasps. She texted Ochaco, 'The _Senpai_ busted me. Gotta think of something or we're all screwed.'

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 10**_

For the last 10 minutes Toru relived the encounter with Shimada in front of Izuku and Ochaco. She didn't know which one was fact and which one was her own imagination. She just dumped everything on her friends in rapid successions, stopping briefly only to get some air.

"He saw me! He saw me naked!" she fastened her grips on Ochaco's hands.

"That is not possible. No one has that capability, at least not on that floor," Izuku scratched his head. "I know because I checked."

"But he knows that I was in his room," Toru continued.

"Did he really say he saw you?" Ochaco looked at Toru in the earnest. "What exactly did he say to you?"

"Well, actually, he didn't say he saw me," Toru calmed down a little. "He said he knew I came into the room, and he said I should have told him so we could go together."

"Sounds like he didn't know when you actually entered his room."

"Then how did he know that I was in his room? Maybe he has sharp sense of smell like a dog? Or he can actually sense the body heat of living things?"

"He already has a quirk," Izuku let out a heavy breath. "There is no way he was born with 2 powerful quirks like that. I start to think that there is somebody else."

"A fourth guy?" Ochaco mused. "Seems a bit too crowded for just a matter of jealousy, doesn't it?"

"I don't know, but it's the only logical explanation. Shimada could not see Toru. He did not know she slipped into his room at that time. The only way he knew was through somebody else's eyes. Or ears. Or nose."

"But you said none of the _senpais_ in that floor had a quirk like that," Ochaco argued.

"I know. I don't think it was any of Class 2-A _senpais_. I wish I could talk to All Might."

"Don't forget that the _Senpai_ is on me now," Toru grimaced. "Oh My God, half of his head melted and molded into tentacles with blades at the tip! Now that he knows who I am, he's gonna make attempt at me again. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted to harm me. I'm gonna take a few days off…"

"That's not a good idea," Izuku quickly replied. "Outside UA Shimada will go unchecked. Here he cannot use his quirk freely against other students without getting into trouble with UA. He is strong but our teachers are stronger. Stay here but lay low. Be around friends or teachers. He will not attack you unless you are alone."

"Can we just report him?" Toru whined.

"And what would Principal Nezu do? Expel him? It'll make things worse."

"Deku-kun is right, Toru," Ochaco added. "Shimada tends to be extremely aggressive outside UA. Here we have yet to see him making attempt at anybody, save for perhaps Class 1-B stage. Besides, we can protect each other within UA. Now get some rest. If you want, I can stay with you."

"Thank you Ochaco-kun," Toru rested her head on Ochaco's shoulder. "I shouldn't have listened to you."

"Very sorry about that. I can bake you cookies to make you feel better."

"Actually," Toru grinned awkwardly. "Can you ask Sato-chan to make cookies for me? I like his baking the best. Not saying I don't like yours, Ochaco-kun."

"It can be arranged," Ochaco replied. She produced her phone and texted Rikido Sato. 'Sato-san, Hagakure-kun is feeling blue. Can you come and bake her some cookies?'

Rikido's reply was short and fast. 'Coming!'

* * *

 **Translation**

 _yandere_ : overly-possessive lover


	35. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Closer**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : There are several theories as to why Toru Hagakure is invisible, but there is no reference to whether anybody can actually make eye contact with her. In Japanese culture, staring into someone's eyes is rude, which is why Shimada *attempted* to do it in the first place. She's wearing clothes, so he can pinpoint the location of her eyes. Whether he does it successfully or not is up to interpretations.

* * *

 _ **Olive Sunrise Greek Restaurant,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 11**_

Chika visited Yosetsu for the weekend and they finally had dinner at Olive Sunrise after months of delays and distractions. The food was great, the ambience was relaxing, but the best part was they had a chance to catch up with each other. They had not seen each other for the last few weeks, with him preparing for the Joint Training against Class 1-A, and her training for the highly-anticipated Love Live Championship in the spring.

"Enjoying yourself?" Yosetsu said with a teasing smile.

"How can I not? I don't have Greeks often, and I think this is the best so far," Chika replied.

"Good," Yosetsu smiled. "Something to remember when you return for your training."

"I'll keep it in mind. We get a gig at Tama Zoological Park in a few weeks. Think of it as a practice show before Love Live. We're preparing a new song for it."

"I'm afraid I'll miss the premiere," Yosetsu feigned a pout. "Can I have a sneak peek?"

"It's still a work in progress, so no, no preview," Chika's eye twinkled with mischief. "But I can tell you a little secret… Hana will take lead."

"Hanamaru? The one that's always eating?" Yosetsu was taken aback, this time for real. "I wouldn't have guessed!"

"Yeah, well, Aqours received some criticism from fans as of late, especially Hanamaru's fans. They said we didn't give her enough chance to shine, that she never had center. So we write this song for her, and design the choreography with her as center."

"How does she handle it?"

"Oh, she handles it fine. She's ready. She's more than ready to take center."

"Well good for her. And good for you! I wish I could watch."

By this time the server came to the table. "Awase-san, we need your verification for the card."

"Is there a problem?" Chika quickly reached for her handbag. "I don't mind…"

"No no no no," Yosetsu quickly held her hand. "I get student discount if I use UA student ID, but they have to verify it. It'll be just a second. I'll be right back."

"OK," Chika leaned back on her chair and pulled out her phone. There were a few messages from her friends, mostly teasing her about her 'good time' with Yosetsu. Chika chuckled alone as she replied the messages with equally smart-ass comments.

Chika was too busy with her phone to notice a young man approaching her table. "You are not from around here, are you? Visiting somebody?"

Chika had never seen the guy before. Long hair with unkempt bang, lazy eyes, and very, very confident voice. She thought he might be a fan of Aqours, so she smiled and bowed her head politely. "Yes, my boyfriend, he just went to take care of something. _Hajimemashite_. I'm Takami…"

"I know who you are," the guy took Yosetsu's seat. "Shimada, Hideo. I'm second year at UA."

"Oh, you go to UA too? Do you know my boyfriend, Yosetsu Awase? He's first year, Class 1-B."

The guy grinned. "I know him well. Too well."

Yosetsu returned from the cashier and his heart almost stopped beating, seeing Chika in a 'pleasant' conversation with somebody that has been his bane for the last few weeks. He didn't tell anybody that Chika was coming to Musutafu. He intentionally took her to eat out, far away from school, so nobody spotted her. Was it coincidence that Shimada was at the same restaurant with them, or did he actually know? After what happened to Pyrrha and Toru, he had a feeling that Shimada was actually stalking Chika.

 _But how the hell did he know where to find her?_

It didn't matter for now. He had to get him away from Chika as soon as possible. Without thinking he rushed to the table and positioned himself between Shimada and Chika, blocking her from him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Shimada got up and smiled. "I dine here often. Food is great."

"Yosetsu-chan, this is Hideo Shimada…" Chika chimed obliviously.

"I know who he is," Yosetsu hissed. He looked straight into Shimada's eyes. "Stay away from her."

"Yosetsu-chan, what's wrong with you?!" Chika shot up and pulled Yosetsu's arm. "We are having a nice conversation!"

"Yes indeed," Shimada smiled mockingly. "I am but keeping your girlfriend company. Are you afraid of a little competition?"

"She has nothing to do with everything," Yosetsu growled, but the tremble in his voice was clear. He knew Shimada's reputation. He knew he couldn't beat Shimada on a 1-on-1 fight. But he wasn't concerned about the fight. Shimada could beat him up anyway he wanted. It was what Shimada would do to Chika after he died that made him scared stiff. "Please, leave her alone."

"Or what?" Shimada bared his teeth. He returned Yosetsu's stare. "What are you going to do?"

"Everything to keep you away from her." Yosetsu activated his quirk and reached for anything he could get. He gripped a chair with his left hand and a plate with his right, not exactly knowing what to do with them to counter Shimada's attack.

"Nothing is good enough, and you know it," Shimada flashed a derogatory smile. "You _kohai_ still have to learn a lot before you can take your useless quirk against me."

"I'll die before you touch her."

"Yosetsu-chan! Stop!" Chika yanked Yosetsu's sleeve. "What are you doing? He's your _senpai_!"

" _Senpai?_ What a pleasant surprise!" suddenly another couple joined the party. Reiko Yanagi, Yosetsu's classmates, arrived with his date, the bird-head Fumikage Tokoyami. "We don't interact much with our _senpai_ , aside from Mirio Togata who seems to enjoy hanging out with Class 1-A. I'm Yanagi, Reiko, this is Tokoyami, Fumikage, _hajimemashite_."

In an unexpected move, Shimada took a step back, away from Fumikage. He looked at the bird head for a while, as if hesitating, then returned to Yosetsu. "Stay away from my life, and I'll stay away from yours!" Then he turned away and hobbled out of the restaurant.

The four of them looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments, until Fumikage broke the ice, "What just happened, Awase? Did we crash your party?"

"Nothing," Yosetsu looked at Fumikage for a while, wondering if Shimada saw something that he couldn't. "I'll talk to you later. Now we have to go." He grabbed Chika's hand and towed her toward the exit.

But they were still halfway from the door when Chika yanked her arm free. "What the hell was that?!"

"I was protecting you," Yosetsu replied.

"You have been hiding something from me," Chika snarled. The twinkles in her eyes turned into flames, ready to engulf Yosetsu awhole. "Don't think I do not notice, Yosetsu-chan. You changed. You are not Yosetsu that I knew and loved. Now you tell me what is going on, or I will jump on to the next train to Numazu!"

Yosetsu knew there was no other way around it. Chika had seen too much. He threw a somber look at Fumikage and Reiko, who were still trying to get a grip of the situation, then met Chika's stare. "Walk with me."

Chika followed him, and once outside he told her everything. He started from Hiryu-Akiho strained relationship, moving on the Cultural Festival when Pyrrha realized there were actually 3 people sabotaging Class 1-B play, then how they found out Shimada's identity, and the fact that Shimada kept getting one step ahead of them and tried to hurt people that mattered to them, like Pyrrha and Toru.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Chika blurted angrily.

"I don't want you to get involved," Yosetsu replied exasperatedly. He stopped at a bridge and looked down at the river below. "He hurts people, Chika-chan. He hurts people that mean to you the most. It's his way to get back to those who trespass against him. If he knew how much you meant to me, he would stop at nothing to harm you. The less you're involved in it, the better."

"Just report him to the principal!"

"We can't. He's smart. He covers his tracks well. And he always knows what we do. He is always ahead of us, and we don't know why. Something about him we haven't found out yet. If we report him, he will find out, and he will hurt more people as revenge. Pyrrha and Toru were lucky to be able to slip past him. You…" He buried his face in his palms. "I can't bear the thoughts of what he will do to you."

Chika leaned on a lamp post, folding her arms on her chest as she looked far over the bridge. "You promised you would share everything with me."

"Yeah, well, I don't like to share pain."

"It is my choice to share your pain," Chika said firmly, emphasizing on every word. "You-chan warned me when we started getting serious. _He lives in a violent world_. I can still hear her saying it. Funny, though," she smiled, "now she's dating a cop, which is not too much different from you. But that's not my point." She shed her giddiness and returned to the austere expression. "I am not a little girl. I know the consequences of my actions."

It took Yosetsu a while to come up with an answer. "I know you're going to get mad at me, but you are a non-combatant, and I live 2 hours from you. Should something bad happen to you, I would not forgive myself. It is my best judgment to keep you out of this mess. I love you too much to see you get hurt."

"But I'm part of you, Yosetsu-chan. I gave my all for you. By keeping me out of the loop, you're keeping me out of your life. It hurts me more than anything Shimada could ever do."

Yosetsu felt like he was stabbed in the chest by a katana.

"I'm really honored that you think so highly of me, but please don't do that again," Chika held back her tears. "I want to be with you, whether we are together or apart. I want to feel your pain as you feel my pain. You sacrifice everything for me. You have to let me do the same. Otherwise there's nothing for us to hang on to."

Yosetsu was not prepared to hear this. All this time he saw his relationship with Chika the wrong way. He had been playing the role of a hero protecting a fair maiden from the grips of evil. But Chika didn't want a hero. She had no interest in his capacity as a pro-hero in training. She wanted a partner, an equal who would share her world, and his world, with her. It was unfortunate for him to learn it the hard way, but at least he got to learn it. Otherwise he would just hurt her more.

"I have been mistaken. Forgive me," Yosetsu bowed politely.

"Nah, don't take it like that," Chika smiled and threw her glove at him. "I have not been mindful of you either. I knew you were stressed. I just didn't make enough effort to make things better. We are both in the wrong. But you know… our screw-ups brought us closer than before. Doesn't it make you feel… happy?"

Yosetsu didn't know where Chika was going with that question, but he wasn't about to ruin her moment. "Hm hm," he said shortly.

"Now we got that out of the way, what are we going to do about this Shimada guy?" Chika leaned on Yosetsu's arm.

"I uh… I honestly don't know," Yosetsu sighed. "He knows about you. He is probably stalking you already. The pro-hero in me wants to move in with you to Numazu. But your dad is one scary dude."

"Jackass," Chika giggled and playfully slapped his arm.

"I did notice something, though. Shimada was very confrontational with me, and I was certain I was going to die right there at the restaurant. He is very strong, and there is no way I can beat him. But then Tokoyami came, and Shimada 'retreated'. Is it just me or did you see it too?"

"Maybe he has a bad case of ornitophobia," Chika quipped.

"Whatever it is, Tokoyami might be just what we need to beat this guy. I'll talk to others. Hopefully we can put an end to this soon." He looked at Chika's face, glowing under the street light. "I can't wait for it to be over, so we can go back to our normal life."

Chika snuggled closer, and certainly not from the cold.

* * *

 **Translations**

 _Hajimemashite_ : Nice to meet you

 _Kohai_ : junior, underclassman, rookie, noob. The opposite of _senpai_.


	36. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Contingency**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

After Chika returned to Numazu, Yosetsu dragged the still-oblivious Fumikage and Reiko to meet with Izuku, Ochaco, Momo, and Hiryu. Momo was particularly not happy with the decision to include Fumikage and Reiko, but Yosetsu insisted that Fumikage was the 'weapon' they needed to combat Shimada. Or at least they could learn something from Fumikage to give them the upper hand.

"I could see it in his eyes, he was ready to kill me," he jabbered. "But then Tokoyami arrived and he turned away. And he didn't just turn away. He turned away with tail between his legs."

"I did nothing!" Fumikage replied. "We went to Olive Sunrise to have dinner. We saw Awase and Takami with that _senpai_ , so we decided to say hi. I have no clue what he's talking about!"

"We didn't even know you and the _senpai_ were actually arguing," Reiko added.

"Have you met him before?" Izuku chimed in.

"No! I didn't even know he was our _senpai_!" Fumikage fumed. "Who was he actually?"

"His name is Hideo Shimada, Class 2-A. We are certain he's responsible for Class 1-B stage vandalism," Ochaco explained. "And half a dozen other violations of UA rules."

"I thought the culprits had been expelled?" Reiko cocked her eyebrows.

"UA expelled the minions. We still have the mastermind," Momo stood up. "Nagai and Kotani did it because they held a grudge against UA Hero Program. Shimada used them to hit his own target." She turned around and pointed at Hiryu. "Him."

"Rin?" Fumikage and Reiko blurted in unison. "What did he do to piss off a _senpai_?"

"I uh…" Hiryu scratched his head.

"He dated Shimada's ex," Yosetsu muttered. "That vandalism was a message for Rin to stay away from his ex."

"That's sick," Reiko mumbled.

"Then what are you doing, talking about it in secret? If you are sure he's an asshole, talk to the principal!" Fumikage said.

"He's always one step ahead of us," Momo exhaled bitterly. "He has a 'weapon' that we don't know how to deal with. He knows everything about us, about our lives, and most importantly about people that we love. He attacked Pyrrha and Toru already."

"And he made a move on Chika," Yosetsu added. "His visit to Olive Sunrise was not random. He knew how to find Chika, even though I didn't tell anybody about her visit."

"And he's strong," Izuku joined in. "He was in the same league with Togata, Hado, and Amajiki. He can beat all of us easily, and he knows it. Until he met you."

"But I did nothing!" Fumikage looked at Reiko, begging for assistance. "I was not ready to fight. I was there to eat, not to confront anybody. If he attacked me, he would surely knock me out in one strike."

"Maybe he wasn't afraid of you," Reiko offered an explanation. "Maybe he was afraid of _'the other guy'_."

"Dark Shadow?" Fumikage cringed. "Well, as a matter of fact, he was acting kinda… weird."

"How weird?" Ochaco mused.

"He was restless. Frantic. Edgy. I can't explain it, but it was like when you are getting ready for combat. But I was not in a combat mode, so I ignored him. I didn't think too much about him…"

"Are you saying Dark Shadow sensed something about Shimada, and Shimada knew it?" Hiryu interjected.

"Can you ask him what it is?" Ochaco added.

"Me? Asking him?" Fumikage scoffed. "Last time I attempted an intelligent conversation with him, Bakugo and Todoroki had to subdue him. He's an animal. A beast. A power of nature. He is not one you reason with. You control him, or he controls you. That's all there is to it."

"So we have the answer right in front of us and we can't read it," Momo massaged her bridge. "What excites an animal? Procreation, which we can rule out, and… and…" And suddenly, Momo froze, as if something just switched a light in her head,"… blood."

"Huh?" the rest of the students gave her a dumb look. "What are you saying?"

But Momo turned to her phone and scrolled through countless of old messages. "Pyrrha said she hit Shimada twice. Once on his leg, which is obvious by the way Shimada is limping, and once on his side. We don't see the effect, but I think… I think Pyrrha injured Shimada worse than we thought. He may have internal bleeding. That was what Dark Shadow sensed. He smelled blood."

"That means Shimada is in a weakened state," Yosetsu chimed with a newfound vigor. "I'd say we mug him and put him out of commission while he's still weak!"

"How's it gonna help us?" Hiryu sneered. "He'll go to the principal, and we're the ones to get expelled!"

"Well at least we put him out of commission!"

"I understand your anxiety, but that's not how we do things," Momo said. "I don't want to break any rule. We can do this without lowering ourselves to Shimada's level."

"It may be too late for Chika," Yosetsu groaned in frustration.

"Calm down, Awase. We just made a good progress. Don't ruin it by rushing things," Momo snapped. "We know Shimada is injured. He might visit Recovery Girl to treat his injury. I'll go visit Recovery Girl, see if she knows something."

"I'll go with you," Ochaco said.

"The rest of you, keep calm and don't do anything stupid," Momo stated as she went out of the room. "Just watch for your loved ones."

* * *

 _ **Recovery Girl's Nurse Office,  
**_ _ **UA High School, Musutafu,  
**_ _ **Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

The Recovery Girl was not too keen on discussing her patient with anybody, but after Momo explained that it could save the lives of many people, she relented.

"Yes, he was here a few days ago," the Recover Girl paced the floor between her desk and the refrigerator. "Poor young man, he was in a lot of pain. He didn't groan or complain, but I can see that his face was contorted. He asked for oxycodone, which I couldn't provide without physical exam, but he declined and settled for aspirin. I told him to come back if the pain persisted, but he never returned. I could only hope he is getting better."

"What did he ask oxycodone for?" Momo asked. "That is a serious painkiller."

"I don't know," Recovery Girl shrugged. "He left before I examined him. I even offered to 'speed up his healing process', but he was adamant he didn't need one. I never knew what happened to him."

"Shuzenji-sensei, did anybody come with him?" Ochaco said. "If he was badly hurt, somebody might give him assistance."

"No, I don't remember anybody," Recovery Girl sat on her chair. "In fact, I never saw him with anybody. I know he used to hang out with The Big Three, but after he had to repeat 2nd grade, he was pretty much alone all the time. He lived in the shadow, practically. The only time I saw him hung out was with the 2 students that were expelled for sabotaging the Cultural Festival. Nagai and Kotani."

"Yes, we know they knew each other," Momo said. "He might be the one feeding those two quirkless imbeciles information about the stage play…"

Recovery Girl threw a dirty look at Momo. "Nagai and Kotani are not quirkless."

"What?!" Momo's eyes almost leapt out of the sockets. "Nagai and Kotani _have_ quirks?!"

"Of course they do! What, just because they are in General Education program doesn't mean they don't have quirks! In fact, Nagai was bitter toward the Hero Program because he was declined a spot, despite his quirk. He thought just because he had a quirk, he was automatically accepted in the Hero Program."

Momo flashed a dumbfounded look at Ochaco. "Why do we assume that Nagai and Kotani are quirkless?"

"I- I- I don't know," Ochaco stammered. "I think Bakugo said it first, and we… we… just went with it."

" _Shimatta,_ we misled ourselves the whole time!" Momo grimaced. She returned to Recovery Girl. "So what are their quirks?"

"Nagai's quirk is called _'Sixth Sense'_. If he came into contact with someone's belonging, he could find all information about the person. Address, hobbies, habbits, favorite things, relatives, all those things. But the information came to him at random. It could take him an hour, a day, a week, a month, even a year. I was working with him to make his quirk more dependable when he was expelled. Kotani's quirk is called ' _Split_ '. He could turn into a ninja, complete with all ninja skills, although I'm not sure whether it was a quirk or just a case of DID. He was kicked out of school before I could run a complete diagnostic on him."

"That's why Shimada is always ahead of us," Momo whispered at Ochaco while Recovery Girl kept blabbering about Nagai and Kotani. "He stole people's items for a reason. He gave them to Nagai, who found out their information for him, so he could intercept them when they least expected it. He had Pyrrha's earrings, Toru's stuffs, and…" And suddenly her eyes widened with disturbing realization.

"Oh no!" Ochaco put her hand over her mouth. "Chika!"

"Shuzenji-sensei, we have to go!" Momo quickly said. " _Arigato gozaimasu!_ "

"You're leaving? Do you get what you need?" Recovery Girl blurted.

But Momo gave her a quick bow then ran outside. She pulled out her phone and called Pyrrha. "Pyrrha-chan, where are you?"

"You know where I am. I'm at Okinawa, as expected. Why, can't wait to see me?"

"Something's come up. I'll call you back," Momo ignored Pyrrha's innuendo and called Yosetsu. "Awase, Yaoyorozu. Where are you?"

"I'm getting ready for class. What's going on?"

"Listen to me carefully. We know why Shimada keeps outmaneuvering us. Nagai, one of the vandals, he has a quirk. He can find out somebody's personal information by touching his belonging. Shimada has been stealing stuffs because he's been feeding them to Nagai, so Nagai can give him their personal information…"

" _Chikuso_ , he got Chika's hairclip!" Yosetsu picked up Momo's narrative quickly. "Oh _shitgoddammitalltohell_ …."

"Awase, I know this is hard but it's important for you to remain calm. Recovery Girl said Nagai's quirk was not dependable. He could get the information anytime between an hour and a year. There is a good chance Shimada hasn't found out about Chika's address yet…"

But Yosetsu was beyond reasoning at this point. "Yaoyorozu, I will have to call you back."

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Shimatta_ : something a Japanese says when he realizes he makes a mistake

 _Chikuso_ : sonofabitch (yes, Yosetsu is quite profane)


	37. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Currahee!**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Are you saying that the most famous prayer in the world actually has a grammatical error? :)

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

The long dial tone from the other side pushed Yosetsu closer and closer to insanity. He didn't have much time; his class was about to start. It was his last class for today. He already wrote off learning; it was not going to happen. All he needed was to sit through it. He could do it, but he just _*had to*_ have this phone call before class.

At long last Chika's voice replaced the dial tone. "Yosetsu-chan? Is there something wrong? I have to get a hall pass to take this call. What is going on?"

"Shimada knows where you are," Yosetsu said while looking at the clock.

"What?! How come?"

"I don't have time to explain. Don't go home by yourself tonight. Get your parents to get you!"

"Wha… no! Dad has to work late tonight. It's high season for the _onsen_. Mom can't drive."

"Alright then, get Shima and Mito."

"Can't. Shima has to take Yuki to a group study across town, and Mito…"

"Alright, alright, Officer Harisu then! Get Officer Harisu to escort you home!"

"You can't just ask a cop to escort you home! Harisu-san is very busy."

"Isn't You-san your best friend?"

"She _is_ my best friend, but he's her boyfriend! Between me and him, she's going to take his side! Look, just because Shimada knows where I live doesn't mean he's coming to harm me at this moment, does it? Does it, Yosetsu-chan?"

"Well, I don't know…"

The clock hit 2 minutes past the hour, and Ectoplasm walked right by him. He threw an annoyed glance at Yosetsu. "Awase? Don't you know what time it is?"

"Apologies, Sensei, I need a minute," Yosetsu threw a fake smile as he hid his phone behind his back. "I will come to class shortly."

Ectoplasm grunted audibly, then entered the classroom, leaving Yosetsu outside, alone.

"Sweetheart, I'm not taking any chances," Yosetsu went back to his phone. "If Shimada got you first, I don't know how I can live with myself. Please, do it for me. Get somebody to take you home tonight."

"Alright, I can ask my friends to come home with me."

"You still have to go by bus. I need you to stay away from public transportations."

"Yosetsu-chan, I don't have any other choices."

Yosetsu peeked through the window, watching Ectoplasm writing crazy calculus equations on the board like a mad scientist. It was a 2-hour class, with 15-minute break in the middle, and a few minutes question and answer that Ectoplasm loved to drag, for a total of 2 and ½ hours, minimum. After that Yosetsu had to catch a train to Numazu for 2 hours. That was 4 ½ hour to reach Numazu. Without Ectoplasm class, he needed only 2 hours.

Yosetsu knew he would regret his decision, but at this time, it was the only thing his dulled brain could come up with. "Alright, then. I'm coming to get you."

"Are you crazy?! Are you going to skip class?"

"I don't know," Yosetsu started running toward the exit. "I uh… I deal with it later."

"No no no, this is not acceptable! You're getting into a BIG trouble! Don't do it!" Chika started to panic herself. "I'll find somebody to take me home, I promise! I'll ask Shima…"

"Promise me something," Yosetsu got out of the building and sprinted toward the UA Barrier. He knew if he scanned his ID card to get out, the teachers would know he skipped class. But he didn't care about things anymore. He just slammed his ID card onto the scanner, then bolted out of UA when the big metal door rumbled open. "Don't leave school until I arrive. Please, do it for me."

"Yosetsu-chan, I beg you, please don't do this…"

"I'm already out of UA. Stay inside. I'm coming."

* * *

 _ **Uranohoshi Girl High School,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

The train ride was uneventful, and Yosetsu jumped off the bus in front of Uranohoshi High School, just as his phone rang. It was Momo.

"Ectoplasm is not happy you are skipping his class," Momo's voice was rugged and harsh. "He's complaining to Sekijiro Kan, who will in turn take this to Principal Nezu. Now the teachers know everything, and Shimada will return to his drawing board while licking his wound. It'll be even harder for us to nail him. What the hell are you thinking, Awase?! I told you: don't do anything stupid!"

"I'm not thinking, Yaoyorozu! I'm too scared to think!" Yosetsu let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I know I screwed up, but consider the alternative: Shimada hurts Chika, while I do nothing at UA. How do you think I can live with that?"

"Midoriya checked with the administration office. Shimada is still here. He had not left UA since weekend. Why didn't you do that before you ran away?"

"Well, I guess I'm not that smart," Yosetsu was a little relieved. "I'm sorry, I panicked. But I'm here, so let me just take Chika home, talk to her family, explain the situation, then talk to Numazu Police Department, hopefully they listen. I'll return to Musutafu around midnight. I'll explain everything in the morning."

There was a brief lull before Momo's voice return to the speaker. "You're a good man, Awase. But next time use your head. This shouldn't have happened. Anyway, be careful. If, and this is a _big_ if, Shimada is actually at Numazu and you have to fight him, aim for his left ribs."

"Got it. Thank you." Yosetsu turned off his phone and walked toward the main building. Classes were over, the school was almost empty. A couple teachers noticed him and started to walk toward his direction, but a few students came to talk to them, and they walked to the other direction. Yosetsu didn't know if the girls knew him as a pro-hero in training or as Chika's boyfriend. It didn't make any difference. They left him alone, that was what he wanted.

Chika, You, and Riko waited for him in front of the club room.

"Is it true that somebody is coming here to hurt Chika?" Riko blurted.

"No," Yosetsu shook his head. "Yaoyorozu told me the guy was still at Musutafu. Nothing to be afraid of."

"So you come here for nothing?" Chika raised concern.

"No, I don't come here for nothing. I'm going to make sure you are safe. I'm going to alert your father and Officer Harisu. They have to know that someone, a student from UA with very strong quirk, is going to visit Numazu with a bad intention. Hopefully they listen and take precautions."

"I'm sorry, I told Taro-chan about this but he can't act on speculation. By his definition, this counts as speculation," You explained morosely. "I'm sorry, but I tried."

"That's OK, I understand," Yosetsu replied. "Thank you for staying with Chika. I'll take her from here. Please be safe, and pay attention to your stuffs."

"See you tomorrow!" Chika said as You and Riko walked away. She held Yosetsu's sweaty hands and put them against her chest. "Yosetsu-chan, I'm glad for you to be here. I'm happy to see you. But I don't want you to get into trouble. You don't have to skip class for me. The consequences may be severe."

"I know. I made bad choices. But knowing that you're safe, I can take the punishment."

Chika smiled and rested her head on Yosetsu's chest.

"Now let's go home. I will talk to your father." Yosetsu entwined his fingers with Chika' and led her to the front gate. They waited on the bus stop with a few other students, who shot inquiring stare at him every now and then. But it didn't take long until the bus came. Yosetsu and Chika got into the bus while the other girls stayed, waiting for a different one.

Chika picked an empty row then wrapped her arms around Yosetsu. It was supposed to be a 20 minute bus ride, with a few stops in between. Yosetsu started to let his guard down when the bus stopped at a bus station to pick up passengers. One of them got in the bus from the front door, a medium-height man with shaggy brown hair. The knob of a baseball bat peeked from his long jacket. He looked at Yosetsu, and by the look in his face, Yosetsu could tell that he was just as surprised as him.

" _Kuso!_ " Yosetsu cursed under his breath. "That's Nagai!"

"Who?" Chika picked up the tense in Yosetsu's voice.

"One of the vandals that got expelled from UA. We have to get off the bus! Go! Go!"

Yosetsu tugged Chika's hand toward the rear door, but somebody else already blocked it. A long chain, obviously from a _kusarigama_ , sparkled in the dimly-lit interior, whereas the sickle was visible through the opening of his hoodie.

"That's the other one, Kotani!" Yosetsu muttered hoarsely.

"They're coming for me, aren't they?" Chika clenched her grips on Yosetsu's shirt.

"Likely. You saw Shimada, so he sent his henchmen to ambush you because you have not seen them yet," Yosetsu whispered. "That dirty sonofabitch! I _knew_ he was planning something!"

"Hey! Sit down! We're going!" the bus driver yelled at Yosetsu and Chika.

Trapped between the two armed thugs, Yosetsu and Chika had nowhere to go. They returned to their seats, while Nagai took the seat in the front and Kotani at the back. The bus moved, and during the trip the two 'vandals' changed seats toward the center, one seat at a time, until they were one seat away from Yosetsu and Chika. Yosetsu activated his quirk, but he wished he had his construction blocks with him.

"Long way from Musutafu, isn't it, Awase?" Nagai croaked.

"So are you," Yosetsu replied curtly. "This is a nice town, Nagai. Leave it in peace."

"Listen to this asshole," Kotani blurted from behind. "He thinks he can boss people around because he is in the hero program!"

"This has nothing to do with hero program," Yosetsu tried to be composed. Chika's hands were as cold as ice on his arm. "I know why you are here. Please don't do it. You don't have to obey _him_ all the time."

"What are you talking about, pro hero?" Nagai taunted him. "Are you a psychic or something?"

"No. You are. You could've used your psychic quirk to help people. Instead you're helping him to do what he wants. Don't talk to me like you don't know because you know what I'm talking about!"

"I have a quirk that could've helped the police in the most useful way!" Nagai suddenly growled. "I can find people in any place in the world! I can find villains for the cops! Think about how many people I can save! My quirk is more useful than most quirks in the hero program, including yours! But instead they put me in the general education program and placed the quirkless Midoriya in my seat!"

"Midoriya is in the hero program not because of his quirk," Yosetsu snarled. "It's because of his heart! He has a heart of a hero, regardless he has quirk or not! If you can't understand this, then maybe you should stay in general education!"

" _Kisama saitei da na, ningen no kuzu!_ " Nagai growled as he grabbed the knob of his baseball bat, drawing attention from the other passengers.

"Let's do this the easy way, pro hero," Kotani said from the seat behind Yosetsu. "If you know why we are here, then why don't you step away so nobody gets hurt?"

Yosetsu snickered. " _Ore wo koroshite kara ike!_ "

In an unexpected move, Kotani pulled out his kusarigama and garotted Yosetsu with the chain. "Do you know what the best way of getting out of UA, pro hero? We can prove that UA hero program is a joke! Just like you!"

Yosestu didn't anticipate such violence in a public place. He grabbed the chain and managed to put two fingers between the chain and his neck, but Kotani yanked the chain hard. The world around him quickly turned dark as he desperately gasped for air. The screams of other passengers blended with his own gurgle, and he was hoping that one of them would actually assist him. But with each passing seconds, the screams became more and more distant, along with his own consciousness.

The screaming passengers shifted away from the struggling students. Nagai pulled out his baseball bat and turned to face Yosetsu, but Yosetsu managed to catch the barrel of the bat and weld it to his chair. Nagai, who was already looming over Yosetsu, tripped on his own bat and slid on the floor. Kotani was distracted by Nagai's fall. He turned his head from Yosetsu, and this gave Chika the courage Yosetsu desperately needed. She flung her handbag to hit Kotani in the face. Kotani, expecting nothing from Chika, jerked sideways, losing his grip on his kusarigama in the process. Yosetsu felt the pressure lifted up and he slid under the chain. He turned around and, mustering everything he had left, punched Kotani in the face. As Kotani's head flailed, Yosetsu grabbed the kusarigama, wrapped the chain around Kotani's wrists, and welded them altogether to the chair.

Yosetsu was still queasy when he caught Nagai getting up on the corner of his eyes. The ex student tried to move his baseball bat, but it was welded firmly to the chair. Infuriated, he stepped on the bat at the joint and pulled the bat as hard as he could, breaking it into two. Then he used the jagged-edge 'half-bat' as a weapon against Yosetsu.

Yosetsu pumped his lungs hard to regain footing. Nagain swung the splintered bat at him, but Yosetsu recoiled, missing the bat by a mere inch. Nagai's momentum brought him spinning toward the chairs. Yosetsu pinned Nagai to a chair and kidney-punched him from the back. A raw scream escaped Nagai's mouth. He turned around with a back swing, but Yosetsu blocked the attack. The impact caused Nagai to lose grip on his splintered bat.

Unfortunately, the bat flew and hit the bus driver in the head. The driver twisted and involuntarily turned the wheel. The bus swerved right and hit the curb. Panic screams filled the air as the bus started listing to the left. The bus driver frantically turned to the other direction, but he overanticipated the situation. The bus hit the curb for the second time, and there was no chance to stop it from tipping over.

Yosetsu knew the bus was going to flip, and he did the only thing that came to his mind. He lunged at Chika – who was screaming incoherently – and wrapped himself around her, shielding her from incoming shards and fragments.

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Currahee_ : Cherokee's battle cry (lit. Stand Alone, which fits Yosetsu's situation in this chapter)

 _Onsen:_ Japanese spa, usually around a hot spring

 _Kuso:_ Shit. A very popular Japanese cursing (like its American counterpart)

 _Kisama saitei da na, ningen no kuzu:_ Japanese insult (lit. you are the lowliest of human being)

 _Ore wo koroshite kara ike:_ Over My Dead Body (lit. kill me first!). I could just use the 'American' one but the Japanese version sounds so much cooler :)


	38. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Delinquents**

 **Review Corner** :

 **Ulquiorra9000** : There is always somebody that screws up a perfect plan. But sometimes it is for the best :)

* * *

 ** _Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
_** ** _December 14_**

Yosetsu didn't remember the crash. He didn't know when the bus stopped. When he came to his senses, the bus was already lying on its side in the middle of the road. Jagged-edged splinters scattered everywhere. Passengers moaned, cried, and prayed for their lives. Some teenagers were already up and running, taking pictures of the interior mess and updated their social media accounts.

The first thing he did was to check the girl underneath him. She was curling in fetal position, shaking and covering her ears with her hands. He flipped her around and let out a big sigh of relief when he didn't find any sign of blood.

"Chika-chan! Sweetie! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he shook her to see if she was alert.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" Chika's voice trembled but she was fully conscious. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm good," Yosetsu checked on the passengers. Kotani was still bounded in chain on the seat behind them. Nagai was pulling himself up from a pile of passengers. Yosetsu hated to have to hit an injured man, but Nagai was still a threat. "Stay here. Stay low. I'll be right back."

Before Chika said anything, Yosetsu made his way toward Nagai. Nagai tried to grab his shirt but Yosetsu flanked him, then slammed home another kidney punch on Nagai's back. An agonizing groan escaped Nagai's lips. Yosetsu dragged Nagai off the other passengers, stripped his own tie, then wrapped it around Nagai's wrist. He welded his tie to a grab bar, then welded the rest of the tie to Nagai's wrists, making sure he could not escape.

" _Kutabare!_ " Nagai wiggled and tugged on his wrists to no avail.

"Save your energy. The police will arrive soon," Yosetsu said and hurried back to get Chika. The smell of gasoline started reeking into the interior, and Yosetsu knew what it meant. He slung her arm on his shoulder and pulled her up. "Come on, I'll get you out of here."

"No. I want to help you," Chika correctly assumed that Yosetsu would stay behind and help the other passengers. "You stay, I stay."

"Chika, Babe, I don't have time to argue with you," Yosetsu grabbed her shoulder, looking at her in the earnest. "You _have to_ get out of here!"

"No! I want to help you!" Chika returned Yosetsu's coercing stare with her own. "I'm not getting off and watching you help this people by yourself. I'm staying with you."

Yosetsu knew Chika wouldn't budge. She was just as passionate and stubborn as he was, especially if it affected people that she cared deeply about. "Alright, then, let's help these people out." He pulled an old lady, crying and whimpering on the floor, then carry her to the rear door. Chika helped her getting good grips on handles and grab bars as Yosetsu gently pushed her from behind, until she managed to climb out of the bus.

Once the old lady was out, Yosetsu and Chika returned and helpe another passanger. Some other passengers were inspired by their efforts and started to do the same, helping the old and injured passengers to get out of the bus. The teenagers took pictures and clips of their efforts and posted them on their accounts.

As the elderly and injureds were evacuated, the passengers climbed out. Yosetsu and Chika rushed to the front to help the driver. He was unconscious. Yosetsu tried to open the front door but it was jammed. So they carried the driver to the back door. The smell of gasoline became worse, and if they got the driver out, there were only 2 people left. Nagai and Kotani. If those two managed to get out of the bus, they could continue their mission to harm Chika, or at the very least run away and wreak havoc another day. He had to keep them inside until the police arrive, providing the bus did not explode before then.

Unfortunately he didn't have to wait too long. He arrived at the rear door when somehow Kotani escaped his restrain, and now was using his kusarigama to cut Nagai's bondage. Yosetsu didn't know Kotani's quirk. Momo didn't tell him what Kotani was capable of, and he was too preoccupied to ask. But looking at how he ecaped Yosetsu's construction, the bus wouldn't hold him for long. Yosetsu knew he had to seal the bus from the inside, and it scared him. But he knew he had no other option.

So when the bus driver had been carried out, he pushed Chika. "Now it's your turn. I'm right behind you." But just as Chika climbed out of the door, he slid his phone into Chika's handbag. Then he slammed the door close and welded it shut.

"NO! No no no no no!" Chika turned back and banged on the door in panic. "What are you doing?! Get out! Get out please!"

"Go home! Get out of here! You're safe!" Yosetsu yelled from the inside. "I love you, Chika!"

"No! Don't do this! Please, get out!" Chika started ramming the door with her body, but Yosetsu's welding held fast. The other passengers had to restrain her and drag her away from the bus.

Meanwhile Kotani successfully cut off Nagai's restrain, and they immediately went to the front door, but it wouldn't open. They knew the rear door was shut. The only way to get out of the bus was through the windows, an easy job if not for Yosetsu standing at the ready, threatening them with another blow to the kidneys if they dared to turn away from him.

"Well play, Awase!" Kotani growled as he looked at Chika through the window. "It doesn't make any difference, though. We'll still get out of here and nail your girlfriend!"

"Makes you feel cowardly, doesn't it?" Yosetsu threw his own venom. "You have great quirks. Yet here you are, using your quirks to harm a defenseless girl. I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I were you."

Nagai pulled out a butterfly knife and flashed it around. "You should shut your mouth before I rip it open!"

"Well then go ahead, have a try," Yosetsu kept taunting them. "I'm the one Shimada's trying to hurt. But he is too chicken to do it himself, so he sent you. But he didn't think you're up for the job, so he sent you to hit Chika instead. Come on, do him one better. I'm the real target. Prove it to him that you're not a couple of bozos he thinks you are!"

" _Bakayarou!_ " Kotani lunged at Yosetsu, hurling his kusarigama. Yosetsu ducked, and the chain coiled itself around the bus' stanchion. Yosetsu touched the chain and the stanchion simultaneously, easily welding the two objects, stripping Kotani from his dangerous weapon.

Kotani was not about to be outdone. He pulled out a _kunai_ , a short triangle blade with a ring as the hilt knob, and swung at Yosetsu in a butterfly pattern. Yosetsu must use every bit of his agility training to parry Kotani's attack. He tried to get a grip on the blade but Kotani was so fast he couldn't touch it without getting hit.

As Kotani continued his assault, Nagai sneaked behind him and thrust his butterfly knife when Yosetsu was too busy dodging Kotani's attack. Yosetsu only had a split second to flinch, and Nagai's blade tore his right sleeve, from his shoulder down to his elbow. The tip of the blade grazed his skin, not deep enough to break it, but harsh enough to create a long red swathe on Yosetsu's right arm.

"Hurt?" Nagai grinned.

"If that's your best shot, I can take a few more," Yosetsu shrugged off the attack.

"I'm going to cut you up piece by piece!" Nagai lunged, but his attack was crude and rushed. Yosetsu easily sidestepped it and tripped him. Nagai hit his head on a grab bar and tumbled on the floor, rolling until he crashed on the driver's seat.

Kotani reinvigorated his assault. His kunai stabbed like a cobra, fast and without relent. Yosetsu took cover behind a bus seat, but the short blade busted through the seat like paper. Yosetsu rolled to his left, then climbed on the seats. Kotani jumped onto the seat, yelling and grunting as he swung his blade. Yosetsu found a bag left behind by another passenger, and threw it at Kotani's face. Kotani swiped the bag with his left hand. Yosetsu grabbed a walking cane and threw it at Kotani. Kotani caught it and tossed it aside, but the cane inadvertently broke a window.

"Nice playing with you, Awase," Kotani grinned. "But I still have work todo." He jumped toward the broken window and started hacking the glass, making the hole bigger for him to escape.

Yosetsu got up and grabbed Nagai's broken baseball bat, the one that hit the bus driver, then jumped at Kotani. Kotani was seconds away from jumping through the window when Yosetsu hammered his shin with the broken bat. A loud crack echoed inside the bus, followed by a bloodcurdling scream. Kotani sloshed to the floor, hugging his leg in a long train of cursing. Yosetsu pinned Kotani's right hand on the floor with the broken bat then welded the bat to the floor, effectively ending Kotani's run.

Outside, police cars, ambulance, and fire trucks congregated around the overturned bus. Paramedics quickly attended to the passengers while firemen sprayed the gasoline spill with foam. Policemen, led by Officer Taro Harisu, climbed the bus to find an entrance only to find that both doors were inaccessible.

"Harisu-san! Harisu-san!" Chika mugged the young officer before he could do anything. "Yosetsu-chan is barricading himself with 2 villains inside the bus! They may have quirks! Please don't let them hurt him!"

"Takami-san, you have to step aside and let us do our job," Taro gently pushed Chika aside. He yelled at the other guys on the top of the overturned bus. "Who's going in?"

"Both doors are jammed!" one of the cops replied. "There's a broken window but it is too small!"

"I'm going in!" the skinny cop start climbing the bus. "The rest of you: break the windscreen!"

With his exceptionally low BMI, Taro Harisu slid easily into the small opening. The inside of the bus was a total chaos. One of the combatants was securely fastened to the floor with a broken baseball bat, while the other two squared off at the front section of the bus. One of them was holding a butterfly knife.

"Police! Don't move!" Taro drew his gun and pointed it at the combatants. "Hands on your head! Both of you!"

Yosetsu followed Taro's direction, but Nagai didn't comply. He still held his knife high, as if weighing the chance of him taking both Yosetsu and Taro.

"Hands on your head! I'm not asking again!" Taro cocked his gun, making sure the defiant delinquent heard it. "Next time I'll let my gun do the talking!"

Nagai dropped the knife and put his hands on his head.

Two cops brought in shotguns and broke the front window with the stocks. They took down the windscreen, then crawled in and flanked Yosetsu and Nagai. Two more came in and handcuffed Yosetsu and Nagai.

"Wait, wait, wait," Taro recognized Yosetsu. "I know this one. He's a pro-hero. Let him go, I'll take care of him." He holstered his gun and took off Yosetsu's handcuff. "Awase-san. I hope this is the last time we cross path this way. I will need your statement at the office."

"Whatever you need, Officer," Yosetsu nodded politely. He turned to Kotani, who was still trying to wiggle himself free from his restrain. "You may need a saw to free him."

"We'll take care of him," Taro smiled. "Let's get out of here."

The two walked out of the bus, just as the captain of Numazu Police Department arrived. "Harisu-junsa-cho!" he boomed. "Did you take control of the situation?"

"Yes, Sir," Taro replied. "According to witnesses, a pro-hero engaged two villains inside a moving bus. The fight caused the bus to wreck. The driver is injured but otherwise alive and in good condition. The other passengers only suffered minor injuries and are tended by paramedics. We apprehended the two villains, and the pro-hero will follow me for statement."

"He's no pro-hero! He's just some high school juvie, just like the other two!" suddenly one of the passengers, a stout middle aged man, yelled.

"Hey! He saved your life!" Chika turned and snarled at the man.

"It's his fault the bus got into a crash!" a woman added. "He hit the bus driver with a baseball bat!"

"Calm down! We will handle this!" Taro tried to take control of the situation.

But the captain had a different view upon the matter. "Well, then! Take him in with the other two!"

"What?!" Taro looked at the captain in disbelief. " _Keibu-ho_? This man is innocent!"

"Innocent? Who are you to judge him! You are a police officer, Harisu! It is not your job to judge!"

" _Keibu-ho_ , I know this man," Taro argued. "He is a pro-hero. I can assure you, he would not do anything that caused misfortune."

"And you are a police officer, Harisu!" the captain sneered. "You are not supposed to make a decision based on personal judgment. You are supposed to make a decision based on facts and testimony. Now there are witnesses here that said this young man was just a scroundrel like the other two. Are you going to dismiss these testimonies and let the man go based on your personal judgment?"

"I uh… I… no, Sir," Taro replied with dread in his eyes.

"Well then, arrest him with the other two!"

" _Keibu-ho!_ This is not fair!" Chika burst from the crowd. "He is with me! He is protecting me from the two villains! Yosetsu-chan! Tell him!"

"It is the truth, _Keibu-ho_ ," Yosetsu stated. "Those two came to Numazu to harm Takami-san. I was just in time to prevent it from happening."

"Then how do you explain this?" the captain hollered. "Bus lying in the middle of the road? People getting hurt? Are you saying you have nothing to do with that?"

"It is not intentional, _Keibu-ho_ , and I am very sorry for the damages…"

"Bah! I know you kids! You are nothing but trouble! Harisu-junsa-cho! Put him in jail with the others!"

"NO! He did nothing wrong!" Chika tried to put common sense in the captain's head, but he already turned away. She turned to Taro. "Harisu-san! Please don't do it! You know Yosetsu-chan is not a criminal!"

But Taro could only give him a blank stare. "I'm sorry, Takami-san. I have to do it."

"Your girlfriend warned you about this," Yosetsu snapped. "You didn't take any action. Now you're going to arrest me because I did your job?"

"Awase-san, do not make this any harder than it already is!" Taro turned to face Yosetsu. "I tried to reason with the _Keibu-ho_ , but as he said, I'm a police officer. As much as I hate it, I have my order, and I have to do it. I promise I will make it better, but as of now, I have to take you in."

"This is not the way police should serve citizens!" Chika growled. "You are…"

But Yosetsu realized that continuing down this path would only hurt everybody. Chika's friendship with You would hit a major setback because of this, and he hated it if she lost her best friend because of him. He held Chika's hand. "It's OK, Chika-chan. He's just doing his job."

"No! This is not OK! You did everything a law-abiding citizen should do! You do not deserve this!"

"I'm not that innocent. I skipped school, remember? Think of this as my punishment."

"But that's not fair!" Chika's eyes started to weigh heavy with tears. "You did everything for me, and you still suffer, and I can't do anything to make it right!"

"Babe, knowing that you're safe, that those crooks can't lay their hands on you anymore, it's all I need. Don't worry, I'll be alright." Yosetsu faked a smile. "My phone is in your bag. The password is your birthday. Call Momo Yaoyorozu, her number is on my contact list. Tell her what happened. She'll figure things out." He pulled Chika into a tight embrace, then turned to Taro. "Alright. Do what you have to do."

"I promise, I'll make this right," Taro put a handcuff on Yosetsu's wrist. "Let's go."

As Taro took Yosetsu away, Chika rummaged her handbag to find Yosetsu's phone. She scrolled through Yosetsu's list of contacts, then called Momo. "Yaoyorozu-san? This is Takami, Chika, from Numazu. Something bad just happened. Really, really bad…"

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Kutabare:_ a very offensive Japanese insult

 _Bakayarou:_ Shut Up Foo'! (lit. shut up, fool!)

 _Kunai_ : a short, triangle-shaped blade with a ring as a knob of the handle. Naruto uses this a lot.

 _Keibu-ho:_ Captain


	39. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Lurkers**

 **Author's Note**

This story's ramping up to the finale, and I'm pleased to announce that I'm planning the next adventure for Yosetsu and friends. I've been working with my long-time friend and collaborator **SulliMike23** for the next story. He has some cool ideas that I'll try to make a stand-alone sequel. I don't have the details yet, I only have bits and pieces, but I can tell you that Yosetsu Awase and Hiryu Rin will return to lead the cast, along with their good buddies Kosei Tsuburaba and Sen Kaibara, and the widely-loved Tsuyu Asui (!) Sorry, Love Live fans, the sequel won't be about Aqours, although Chika will show up here and there (what do you expect?)

So here's a little 'preview' of what the story will look like. Enjoy, and don't forget to RnR. We amateur authors love those :)

* * *

 _ **Uemi District,  
**_ _ **Osaka, Osaka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

 _"A local bus in Numazu City crashed and overturned at 34_ _th_ _Street, causing a major traffic jam in the otherwise quiet society. The bus was taking approximately 20 passengers, some of them high school students, when it hit the curb twice and overturned in the middle of the street. As many as 15 passengers were reportedly injured in the accident, although there is no fatality. The driver, whose name is not released, suffered the most severe injuries with concussion and broken ribs. He has been taken to Numazu Municipal Hospital._

 _"According to witnesses, the cause of the accident was a fight between two groups of students inside the bus. Some claimed that it was related to school-gang turf war, others said two groups of boys fought over girls. Reliable sources even claimed that some of the schoolboys came from out of town. All of them agreed that the students started using their quirks to gain the advantage, and one of the quirks inadvertently hit the bus driver and knocked him out. Numazu Police Department confirmed that all perpetrators are schoolboys and have been detained for further investigation._

 _"This bus accident is the latest episode of quirk-based violences that has plagued Numazu, a small quiet community at the foot of Mount Fuji, as of late. A few months ago a man with superhuman quirk went on a rampage at Nakamise Shopping Center, injuring a dozen police officers and mall security guards. Numazu Police Department has been contacted regarding this new phenomenon, but has not issued a statement."_

A man with black long hair turned down the volume of his TV. Smiling insidiously, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. He sipped his tonic gin as he waited for the line to establish. A few seconds later he heard a click on the other side of the line, followed by a short, "Yeah."

"You see the news?" he said.

"As we speak."

"This plays right into our hands," the man chuckled. "There should be a lot of quirkless people at Numazu who are fed up with quirk antics. Easily rallied for our cause."

"Our cause?" the man on the other line sniggered. "Or is it _your_ cause?"

"Are you saying you are indifferent in the matter?"

"I'm saying you are the only one that has problems with quirks. You are the one that want them gone."

"Quirks are a violation of the natural order, and all quirks must be exterminated," the long-haired man finished his drink, "for the preservation of our pure race. Human race."

"Whatever. I'm in for the money."

"Numazu should be easy. Then Yokohama. Then Tokyo. Then Musutafu." The man rose from his seat and walked toward the window. "We get Musutafu, we get Japan."

"Then the world."

"Then the world. But first, Musutafu. Make sure _'it'_ is ready for Musutafu."

" _It_ will be." The man on the other side said assuringly. "Not even the almighty All Might can stop _it_."

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

Hiryu Rin was glued to the TV as the news from Numazu occupied his room. The newscaster never mentioned any names, but he knew his good friend Yosetsu was responsible for the accident. By this time Yosetsu's reckless run to Numazu had become the hottest subject of Class 1-B chat rooms.

"Awase, you're an idiot," Hiryu muttered to himself. "What on earth are you thinking?"

"Did he tell you why he did it?" his freckled girlfriend Akiho joined in.

"Uh uh," Hiryu shook his head. "Although it's not hard to guess, considering he's at Numazu."

"He must really like that girl," Akiho mused.

"He is stupefied by her. It's all there is to it." Just then, his phone buzzed. "Hang on, somebody's calling me… Yaoyorozu?"

"Yaoyomomo? What does she want from you?" Akiho cocked her eyebrow.

Hiryu read Momo's text, then shot a dumbfounded look at Akiho. "We're going to Numazu to help Awase. She wants you to come with us."

"Me? But I don't have anything to do with that idiot!" Akiho jumped up from Hiryu's bed.

"He's an idiot but he's my idiot friend," Hiryu changed his uniform with a t-shirt and training pants. "He had my back when I needed somebody to go through hard times without you. Now he's in trouble, and I am going to be there for him."

"But Numazu is 2 hours away! It's 5.30 now. We won't be back until 10 at night."

"Yes," Hiryu grabbed Akiho's hand. "But he's my friend, and he needs me."

"He needs his priority straightened up!" Akiho grumbled. "Alright, I'm going with you. But know that I'm not going for him. I'm going for you because I love you, and I know how much he means to you."

"I appreciate it," Hiryu said and grabbed a hoodie from his cupboard. "Here, wear this."

"What? I hate hoodie!" Akiho cringed. "It reminds me of… _him_."

"Trust me, just this once. After tonight, you don't have to wear any hoodie anymore."

Akiho looked at Hiryu, demanding explanation. But Hiryu gave her an assuring nod, and Akiho decided she would not contest his request, no matter how uncomfortable it felt.

* * *

 _ **Tatooin Train Station,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

The bus ride from UA to the train station was mundane, and now Hiryu and Akiho stood on the platform waiting for the train to Numazu. The night was chily, and Akiho had the hood cover her head. Hiryu put his hands inside his pocket, but once in a while he rubbed his palms to make them warmer.

The station was busy, but not many passengers waited for the train to Numazu. The two UA students waited on the platform practically by themselves, until somebody in black hoodie and pants walked toward them. The man stopped two steps behind Hiryu, blowing steam from under his hood.

"Going to Numazu, I presume?"

Hiryu turned around and saw Shimada, grinning underneath his hood. "Yes," he said shortly.

"What a coincidence. I'm going to Numazu as well."

"Not for the same purpose, I believe."

"Depends. What's your purpose?"

"My friend needs me."

"Hm. I'm helping my friends too. But I don't believe we have the same friends." Shimada turned to Akiho. "It's been a while, Akiho-chan. How's everything going for you?"

Akiho didn't answer. She stood still like a statue.

"She's doing fine, thank you for your concern," Hiryu said politely.

"Are you too lazy to answer my question yourself, Akiho?" Shimada didn't even look at Hiryu. "Or our history has no more meaning?"

" _Senpai_ , it was painful memory she tried to forget," Hiryu said. "Please leave her alone."

But Shimada suddenly grabbed Hiryu's shirt. "Painful memory? Not from where I stand! The moaning and laughing and screaming and begging… she loved it as much as I did!"

"Whatever you had with her was the past," Hiryu tried to pull Shimada's hand off his shirt. "You just have to accept the fact that she's with me now, and I love her with all my heart. I will love her with every breath I take."

Part of Shimada's head started to droop and turned into bladed tentacles. "You have no idea what love is."

"Neither do you!" Hiryu jerked Shimada's hand off his shirt. Green scales covered up his forearm, anticipating Shimada's attack.

"You're right, I don't," Shimada's tentacles whipped in the air. "I only know dominance. I believe the strong should dominate the weak, and I believe you are weak! Let's have a contest… whoever wins get Akiho!"

"Akiho is not a possession!" Hiryu growled. "She is a human, and she is free to do whatever she wants!"

"Look what you dumped me for, Akiho!" Shimada chuckled curtly. "A weak, girly _Shinajin_!"

"She didn't dump you for me," Hiryu hissed. "She dumped you because you're an asshole!"

"Then she'll have no problem with me cutting you up!" Shimada's blades dashed at Hiryu but Hiryu put up a double cover. The blades bounced on his scales. Shimada retracted his tentacles for another attack, but Hiryu performed sumersaults to get some distance. He stretched his arms forward and shot scales at Shimada like machine guns. Shimada's tentacles whipped every which way to block the scales, but a few scales broke through his defense and hit him in the chest.

Shimada backpedaled then launched a more murderous attack. His tentacles split into two and dashed at near supersonic speed. Hiryu tried to shoot down the tentacles with his scales but he was quickly overwhelmed. Two tendrils wrapped around his ankles then threw him at the wall. Blood sprayed from Hiryu's mouth as he crashed onto the wall. She dropped to the floor, wheezing. Shimada retracted his tentacles to form 3 giant spears, ready to impale Hiryu to the wall.

"Stop!" Akiho, who had not moved an inch, cried out. "Stop, please! Don't kill him!"

"And why should I listen to you?" Shimada turned his tentacles toward Akiho.

"He's just protecting me," Akiho said, still standing on the same spot.

"He's not doing a good job, then," Shimada chuckled, then realized that Akiho was wearing a hoodie, just like him. "I thought you never liked hoodie!" His tentacles whipped and shredded Akiho's hoodie in a blink of an eye. To his absolute horror, she was not Akiho like he thought she was. She was the grey-haired girl he met at the restaurant. The girl with that bird-man who sent shivers down his spine.

"You!" Shimada choked.

All of sudden a trash can jumped at him. Shimada didn't expect it. He blocked the trash can with his arm, forcing him to sidestep.

"When news about Nagai and Kotani getting arrested at Numazu broke out, Yaoyomomo correctly guessed that you would rescue your friends," Reiko Yanagi stripped the shreeded hoodie. "And without Nagai, you have no eyes on us. You have no idea what we're doing. So we set up a trap, and you walked right into it."

"Well done, _Kohai!_ " Shimada sniggered. "But it doesn't make any difference."

"Be careful with your next move," Reiko took a fighting stance. Trash cans, benches, litters, all levitated and started spinning around Shimada. "You're fighting blind. You can't see what you're fighting."

"I don't have to," Shimada whipped his tentacles. "I'll just beat you all up!"

The tentacles made a murderous thrust at Reiko, but the levitating cans and benches converged into a large ball of debris, blocking the tentacles. Reiko shoved her palm forward and the ball of debris exploded, with each part flying toward Shimada. Shimada's tentacles swatted Reiko's debris with blinding speed, then zoomed at the seemingly stunned Reiko.

But before the tentacles reached her, a black 'thing' swiped her off her feet, and dropped her at the balcony overlooking the railways, far from Shimada's reach. The black stuff dispersed into the shadow, and the bird-man came out of the tunnel, locking eyes on Shimada.

"I'm flattered," Shimada raved, but a slight panic was imminent in his voice. "All of you gang up on me, although none of these are your business."

"It wasn't," Fumikage took a place next to Hiryu. "Until you made it mine by trying to hurt _her_. Dark Shadow!" The black stuff came out of his chest, taking the shape of a vague monster as it loomed over Shimada. "Beat his ass!"

* * *

 **Translation**

 _Shinajin_ : Japanese derogatory epithet for Chinese


	40. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: Tunnel**

 _ **Tatooin Train Station,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

By this time travelers rushed out of the train station like a flash flood. Local police force fought to get into the station, swimming upstream against the stampede. And when the cops finally reached the platforms, they were greeted by Momo and Akiho – the real Akiho – wearing Japanese Special Assault Team uniform that Momo created.

" _Tokushu Butai!_ " Momo flashed her badge, another one of her creations. "We'll handle this situation!"

" _Tokushu Butai?_ " the cops were taken aback. "We were not informed about _Tokushu Butai_?"

"It is in the need-to-know basis only," Momo replied confidently. "Leave this to us."

"Aren't you a little too… young to be _Tokushu Butai?_ " a police officer looked at Momo and Akiho.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Momo barked. "Are you disrespecting this badge? Do you want to escalate this up to commander level?"

"Uh… no, Ma'am!"

"Get out of here! Set up perimeter defense! Tend the injured! And don't let anybody come here, including pro heroes! If any pro hero wants to come down, you tell him that _Tokushu Butai_ does not need pro heroes!"

"Yes Ma'am!" the police officers ran back upstairs, taking a few station crews that were still in the platform area.

"Yaomomo, are we not getting into trouble pretending to be _Tokushu Butai_?" Akiho said nervously.

"Cops will only mess us up," Momo replied. "Look what happened to Awase. He got arrested for doing what he was trained to do. Keeping the community safe. Booking villains. Helping the elderly and injured passengers. And the cops treated him like a criminal. That's what gonna happen to us too, if we let those cops take control of this situation."

"But we can use their support, can't we?" Akiho bit her lips. "Shimada is strong. I'm worried about Fei Long… Hiryu… and the others…"

"Don't worry, they can handle Shimada," Momo patted Akiho's back. "It ends tonight!"

* * *

The Dark Shadow thrust at Shimada's midst like a rocket, but Shimada's tendrils wove themselves into an elastic shield, bouncing off Dark Shadow everytime it lunged at him. Dark Shadow tried from another angle, like an eagle circling its prey, but Shimada adjusted his shield, blocking the black entity from reaching him. His head sprouted more tentacles and he launched them straight at Fumikage, forcing Dark Shadow to split and formed a wall for Fumikage. The two powerful students were locked in a stalemate, with none of them obtaining a clear advantage over the other.

Seeing Fumikage and Dark Shadow having trouble penetrating Shimada's defense, Reiko came to Fumikage's aid. She returned to the platform level and started pelting Shimada with debris: cigarette butts, soda cans, bento boxes, trash cans, suitcases, anything her quirk could utilize. Shimada's head sprouted yet more tendrils, now in the dozens, and swatted Reiko's flying debris like flies. He found a crack in Reiko's defense and sent 2 bladed tendrils through the crack, straight to her neck, but Dark Shadow raised a wall in front of her.

"You're strong," Shimada growled," but you have a lot to learn to beat me!"

"What we lack in skill, we make up in numbers," Fumikage hissed, and nodded at Reiko. "Together!"

Meanwhile Izuku and Ochaco brought Hiryu away from the heat of the battle. Shimada's hit knocked the wind out of him, but he was still in a combative mood.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! Just get me on my feet!" Hiryu refused Ochaco's help. "This is _my_ battle! I'm the one who has the most stakes in it! He has been the bane of my life for the last 6 months! I want to end this! Let me kick his ass!"

"You just got hit! Hard!" Izuku helped Ochaco pinning Hiryu to the ground. "Settle down for a while! Breathe easy and get your head cleared before you return, or he's gonna kill you!"

Hiryu took a few deep breaths while Izuku and Ochaco analyzed the fight. "Tokoyami and Yanagi have great offensive power together but are still unable to break Shimada's defense. We need aerial attack." Izuku looked at Hiryu, then Ochaco, then Hiryu again. "Float him," he said. "Let him hit Shimada from the height."

"Right on," Ochaco winked and pulled Hiryu up. "Get up, Rin! We found you a spot for your quirk!"

"Alright!" Hiryu rubbed his palms together and started walking toward Shimada when he suddenly levitated. "What the hell?" he clamored. "What did you do to me, Uraraka?"

"We need orbital bombardment," Izuku explained. "You're the only one that has long range quirk."

"OK, but don't drop me!" Hiryu prepared his scale and aimed at Shimada's supposedly weakened torso. It was hard to target his left side, especially when he hadn't gotten the hang of it yet, but any part would do. He extended his arms and launched his scales like machine gun bullets. "Bombs away! Eat shit, asshole!"

Shimada was too busy countering Fumikage's Dark Shadow and Reiko's poltergeist to notice the new threat. He groaned as he got strafed from behind; blunt things as big as his fingernails rapped him in between his ribs. He split his tendrils and attacked Hiryu, but Hiryu flew backward, shooting his scales in a long arc that peppered Shimada's side. Shimada shifted to dodge Hiryu's attack, leaving a gap in his defense. Dark Shadow punished him for being sloppy. The black entity hammered Shimada's left flank. Shimada adjusted at the last second, blocking Dark Shadow, but a few soda cans from Reiko slapped him in the face. He whipped his bladed tentacles at Reiko but Dark Shadow caught them, and Hiryu slammed home a salvo to the sternum.

Knowing he was overwhelmed, Shimada turned around and started to run. But Izuku activated his One For All Full Cowl and grabbed Shimada from behind. He threw Shimada to the center of the platform, putting him in crossfire. Fumikage, Reiko, and Hiryu attacked him at the same time, and Shimada – on his knees – were forced to be on the defensive. He rotated his tetacles like a propeller to block everything. Izuku saw an opening, then sneaked behind him and hit him on the right side.

Shimada jerked forward then went completely limp.

"For someone who once was the frontliner of the hero program, you are surprisingly fragile," Izuku said. "Togata, Hado, and Amajiki would be disappointed with what you have become. Doubly so with what you have been doing lately."

"What have I been doing?" Shimada chuckled between his coughs. "I did nothing. You _kohai_ mugged me. You ganged up on me. Whose side do you think Principal Nezu would take upon this matter, hm?"

"Ours, without a doubt," Reiko stripped her shirt to reveal an action camera attached to her sports bra. "Smile! You're on camera! Courtesy of Yaomomo."

"We get everything we need," Momo and Akiho arrived, still wearing Special Assault Team uniform. "Attacking USMC operatives. Confessing to aiding Nagai and Kotani, who had been arrested by the police. Attacking fellow UA students. Using your quirk on a quirkless civilian. All we need to have is proof that you are responsible for Class 1-B stage attack, but that should not be a problem. Nagai and Kotani will give it to us."

" _Kuso!_ " Shimada cursed under his breath. He lifted his tendrils as his last act of defiance, but Hiryu stepped on them.

"I really want to kill you for what you did to Akiho," Hiryu bared his teeth. "But I don't want to be you. I don't want Akiho to date the same person she's trying to forget." He stepped off Shimada's tentacles. "Enjoy the rest of your life. I will."

"Alright, we need to get out of here before the cops realize what's going on," Momo pulled out her phone. "Sato! Are you in position?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Rikido Sato replied from the other side. "I'm in _Tokushu Butai_ truck with Hagakure. I bring Hanta Sero and Mezo Shoji too, just in case."

"Excellent!" Momo beamed brightly. "Park the truck as close as you can to the train station, then come down here with Sero. Don't let the cops see Hagakure and Shoji."

" _Ryokai!_ " Sato replied shortly.

Momo looked at Akiho, who stared at Shimada with a mix of remorse and anger. "I told you. It ends tonight."

"Thank you," Akiho said, then proceeded to bawl her eyes out in Momo's shoulder.


	41. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Detention**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : I enjoy pairings from your fanfics. I don't enjoy overused popular pairings (like TodoMomo Kachaco etc) unless it's canon (IzuOcha is semi-canon, so I go with it). I like imaginative pairings like Fumikage-Reiko.

* * *

 _ **Numazu Police Department,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 14**_

Yosetsu had been sitting at the last cell in the long, cold corridor for more than 3 hours now. The night grew cold, and he only had his UA uniform. Once in a while he blew into his hands to keep them warm, but as the night rolled on, it was not enough. At least Nagai and Kotani, who occupied the cell next to him, still had their long coat and hoodie to combat the cold.

"Futile, isn't it, Awase?" Kotani chuckled curtly from the next cell. "You think you do UA honor by providing service for the society. The truth is, UA is a joke. With the destruction you caused, UA will not bail you out. It won't risk its reputation to rescue a first-year juvie. It will just betray you and let you rot here."

"Betray," Yosetsu snorted. "You don't know the meaning of that word, Kotani. You don't even know loyalty to begin with."

"I smell the foul stench of hypocrisy," Nagai joined in. "You and I are in the same boat, Awase. We were treated as UA's foster children, as opposed to the 'golden-boy' leniency Class 1-A received. And yet here you are, talking about loyalty you never had."

"Whatever you're offering, Nagai, I'm not interested," Yosetsu replied halfheartedly, as he looked at the door at the end of the corridor. He knew that somebody would come through that door and picked him up, anytime soon. He knew UA would not abandon him, even though he might have put Principal Nezu in a hot seat by his recklessness that afternoon. And he knew Chika would do something. He had faith. He just wondered what it was like to have a life with no faith like Nagai and Kotani.

Just then, the door squeaked open, and Sekijiro Kan and Chika's father walked in, escorted by Taro Harisu.

 _Oh, great, it can't get any worse than this_ , Yosetsu buried his face in his palms. _My home room teacher, the father of my girlfriend, and the hotshot cop of Numazu are going to chew my ass. My pro hero career is finished, and I'm not going to see Chika again_. He braced himself as Taro unlocked the cell door, allowing Sekijiro Kan and Chika's father to enter his cell.

"Alright, Awase, explain to me what I am doing at Numazu at 11 pm," Sekijiro Kan thundered.

"Kan-sensei, _moushiwake arimasen deshita_ ," Yosetsu bowed as low as his spine allowed. "I have brought shame to UA, but please hear me out..."

"You could've told me!" Sekijiro Kan bellowed. "You have your pro hero license but you are still in training! You are not prepared to handle situation like this! Worse yet you skipped Ectoplasm's class to do something you're not supposed to! I had to sit through Ectoplasm's rants for half an hour! He never ranted about Class 1-A students! Never! I thought I had better students than Class 1-A until you proved me wrong!"

"I am sorry, Sensei," Yosetsu bowed again. "But we are dealing with a very devious enemy…"

"Shimada was one of our best students, barring his academic standing! How dare you call him 'enemy'!"

"Sensei, we have proofs that he attacked civilians and USMC operatives in Okinawa. We also have very reliable sources that suggested he was behind the Cultural Festival vandalism."

"And you decide to act by yourself, instead of telling me?"

"Sensei, he…" Yosetsu gathered himself under Kan's intense heat. "He attacked our loved ones. He ambushed Pyrrha Nikos at Okinawa as a message to Momo Yaoyorozu to stop her activity. He ambushed Toru Hagakure to discourage Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka. And he started making advance at Chika Takami to discourage me. I was afraid that if I told you everything, he would hurt Chika."

Sekijiro Kan squinted. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Since the Cultural Festival, Sensei."

"And these proofs… where did you get them?"

"Some of them were courtesy of USMC operatives at Okinawa. Others are our own… uhm, deduction."

"I checked with admin office. Shimada was still at UA when I left. Your deduction is completely wrong!"

"He was still at UA, Sensei, but he sent those two guys to harm Chika," Yosetsu pointed at Nagai and Kotani. "I met Shimada at Musutafu a few days ago, when Chika visited me. I knew he was stalking Chika. I knew he was planning something. I didn't know exactly what he was going to do, Sensei, but I knew he would do something terrible. When Yaoyorozu-san told me that he already knew Chika's location, I panicked. I tried to set up arrangements to protect her but nobody was available."

"I am partly to blame, Sensei," Chika's father, who had been silent up to that point, graciously came to Yosetsu's defense. "I did not do enough to ensure my daughter's safety."

"I did not do enough either, Sensei," Taro Harisu added. "I am the police officer here. I could've done something to make things safer for everybody."

"You should've come to me, Awase!" Sekijiro Kan rubbed his temple, but his tone turned mellow. "We could've done something more tactical, more subtle, to defuse the situation. Shimada is, by and large, UA student. We have more knowledge of him than you do. You did foil his plan but look how much mess you made in the process! You wrecked Numazu public transportation, you injured Numazu citizens… they are going to sue UA for negligence! Nobody would recognize your noble intention. People would only know that UA is nothing but trouble! We would have to pay for this in the long run!"

"I understand, Sensei, and I am truly sorry," Yosetsu avoided Sekijiro Kan's fiery stare. "I will take all responsibility."

"You are one of my best students, Awase," Sekijiro Kan rumbled. His breath was hot in Yosetsu's face. "I would not expect you to act this reckless. Why did you risk your life, your future, and UA's reputation for just one person? Why did you do it?"

Yosetsu tried to find a good reason that Kan would expect from a pro hero, but in the end he opted to just tell Kan the brutal truth. "I uhm… I love her, Sensei. I really do."

"Sensei, he saved my daughter," Chika's father said. "I know it is uncouth of me to say this, but it's all what matters to me. To the world, she may be just one person, but to me, she is the world. And I think this young man shares the same opinion with me."

"That doesn't make things alright, Takami-san," Sekijiro Kan grumbled. "He broke half a dozen school protocols in one afternoon. He has to be punished, or UA will get a lot of flaks from people." He turned to Yosetsu. "Yosetsu Awase, you skipped class and left UA premises during school hour. You caused damages to Numazu public transportation, and injured some citizens. I'm putting you on a detention. You are to do 100 hours of community service for the city of Numazu."

Yosetsu expected the first part. The second part, though, did not sound like punishment at all. Community service for Numazu? He would do that for free!

"There is a local hero in Numazu that already volunteered to supervise you," Kan continued, referring to Taro Harisu. "You are to report to him in the morning and do what he says, until you finish your service. Failure to complete this task would result in more severe punishment, even termination from UA."

"I will make sure to give you something within your capability and capacity as a pro hero in training," Taro flashed a smile. "Nothing you can't handle. However, I don't have many things for you on weekends. Therefore I will hand you over to Takami-san."

"Takami's _ryokan_ are particularly busy on weekend," Chika's father added. "You will help me taking care of the _ryokan_ with no pay, so I can give my employees some rest."

Yosetsu couldn't believe what he just heard. A job at Takami's family-owned hot-spring inn? That was NOT a punishment by any means, even though he would work unpaid.

"Kan-Sensei, Harisu-san, Takami-san, did you… did you arrange this beforehand?" Yosetsu suspected some shenanigans among the three of them.

"Do you think this is a vacation, Awase?! This is a punishment for your reckless stunt! I suggest you take this very… VERY seriously!" Sekijiro Kan boomed, but he gave Yosetsu a profound wink. "Report to me when you finish your detention at Numazu! And don't fail me on this!"

"Yes Sensei!" Yosetsu gave him a heartful bow. He didn't know what exactly Sekijiro Kan was thinking, but he wouldn't contest his decision.

"Awase-san, you're free to go," Taro stepped out of the way, leaving the door open for Yosetsu.

" _Arigato gozaimasu_ ," Yosetsu bowed again, with joy this time. He stepped out of the cell and gave a small nod to Nagai and Kotani, who could only give him cold stare. Sekijiro Kan, Chika's father, and Taro Harisu walked behind him. The door led to the main office and Taro unlocked the door then let Yosetsu go out first.

At the main office Itsuka Kendo was talking to Chika and her sisters Shima and Mito, and Shima's boyfriend Yuki. She had Yosetsu's duffle bag on her shoulder. Chika lit up upon seeing Yosetsu, but made no move toward him. Itsuka, on the other hand, shot an irritated stare at him.

"Do you realize how undignified it is to come to your room, pack up your stuffs…" she shoved the duffle bag hard at Yosetsu, "… then come to Numazu to bail out your ass, so you can get a time off school? It will be 2am before I return to UA! And I still have Ectoplasm homework, the one you skipped!"

"You have my permission to come in late, Kendo," Sekijiro Kan said. "I'll explain to Ectoplasm that you're doing damage control for the sake of UA. I'll see if I can extend your due date until weekend."

" _Domo arigato, Sensei_ ," Itsuka bowed politely. She turned to Yosetsu. "Enjoy, you lucky bastard!" she huffed, then briskly walked out of the police station.

"I'm returning to Musutafu," Sekijiro Kan said. "Officer Taro Harisu, thank you for your service. I expect a full report on Awase's work under your supervision sometimes next week."

"I'll write to you daily, Kan-sensei," Taro gave Kan a slight bow. "I appreciate your attention for the city of Numazu. We can build a partnership to build a safer community in the future."

"I look forward to it," Sekijiro Kan replied, then walked out of the front door.

As the UA teacher left, Chika threw herself at Yosetsu. "How are you holding up?"

"I got chewed pretty bad and have to do 100 hours of community service for Numazu, including unpaid work for your _ryokan_ ," Yosetsu replied. "But knowing you're alright, it's worth it."

"Unpaid?!" Chika turned to her father, her big round eyes opened wide. "Daddy?"

"I would've paid him double, Honey," her father smiled. "But Kan-sensei wouldn't make him an example of 'how to make profit by skipping school'. This is a detention, and I have to treat it as such."

"I take it regardless, Takami-san," Yosetsu said. "Thank you…"

"You don't thank me, Son," Chika's father bowed. "I am the one who is indebted to you."

"Aww Daddy, I love you," Chika gave her father a big bear hug.

"Why are we supporting them?" Yuki grumbled in the background. He turned to Shima, "Your sister's dating a juvie! He has a rap sheet! We have to bail him out of prison!"

"Yeah, and Daddy gives him a job. How cool is that?" Mito couldn't pass the chance to make fun of Yuki. "If you ever ended up in prison, Daddy would pretend he didn't know you."

"Shut up, Mito!" Shima hissed. She turned to Yuki, who was visibly offended by Mito's comment. "Don't listen to her. Let's get out of here!"

"Alright, Takami Clan, it's late," Chika's father put his arms around Chika and Mito, since Shima had already left the room. "Your mother would be worried." He walked to the door, then stopped and turned toward Yosetsu. "You coming?"

"Yes Sir!" Yosetsu nodded, but stopped and turned toward Taro Harisu. "Hey. Thank you."

"Just doing my job," Taro replied with a proud smirk. "Good night, Awase-san. See you in the morning."

"Good night," Yosetu gave him a courtesy bow, then regrouped with the rest of the Takamis.

* * *

 **Translation**

 _moushiwake arimasen deshita:_ very formal apology to boss / superior / honorable person

 _ryokan:_ inn, usually centers around _onsen_ (hot spring)


	42. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: Tally Ho! Everybody Jumps In To The Spa!**

 **Author's Note** : And finally, the scene I have been waiting for!

This is the scene that made this entire story going. Last winter I made a simple drawing of 3 couples hanging out in a spa. When finished, I thought it would be nice to write a short story about the drawing. This was supposed to be a 10-chapter story with this spa scene as the finale. But I had great time writing it, so I kept delaying this 'spa' part and adding new stuffs. Now 30+ chapters later, I finally reached this scene, and I have to tell you it's been a blast.

Also, the original draft contained a lot of adult materials that are not suitable for Teen audience, so I replaced them with yet more information about Yosetsu's next adventure (alright, alright, 'sequel').

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000** : Like I said, I like odd couples that are not overly used by fanfic authors. Rikido-Toru would make a great couple. Also I like to use rarely used characters like Vlad King and Recovery Girl.

* * *

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 20**_

"So in a nutshell," Izuku spoke to Momo's phone holding a Skype session with Yosetsu at Numazu, "Hideo Shimada has been expelled from UA and interned at Tartarus. USMC and Beacon Academy are pressuring the Hero Public Safety Commission to lock up Shimada for a long time, for what he did to their operatives. Our loved ones are free from him."

"Nagai will be sent to the I-Island," Ochaco continued. "His quirk is actually very useful, but he does not have the right attitude to become a pro hero, so scientists are hoping to replicate his quirk for the police. After that he will be sent to Tartarus. Guess who is involved in this project… Melissa Shield! Deku-chan had a fling with her last summer…"

"I did not!" Izuku cut her off, but couldn't stop the flood of laughter from everybody in the room.

"Kotani will be sent to a mental institution," Momo tuned in. "Recovery Girl mentioned that his quirk might not be quirk at all, it might be a multiple personality disorder. So she will work with the institution to determine Kotani's situation. If he has quirk, then he'll be sent to Tartarus. If it's a DID, then he'll be a permanent resident of the mental institution."

"And Kendo is fine," Hiryu added. "She got her due date extended. She's not pissed anymore."

"Looks like everything is back in order, guys," Yosetsu said from Numazu. The small screen of Momo's phone did not capture his facial expression well, but the joy in his voice was transparent enough. "I'm glad it's finally over. Are you not happy, Rin?"

"I'm finally able to move on with my life," Hiryu replied as he pulled Akiho into his embrace. "How are you doing, man?"

"Well, you know, community service," Yosetsu chuckled. "I get to fix the bus that I wrecked, clean up Mito Beach, fix some broken slings and slides in the kid's playground, install trash cans at Nakamise Shopping Mall, pick up trash on highways, sweep train station…"

"You seem upbeat for a pro hero who spends 10 hours a day doing janitorial work," Hiryu quipped.

"It is humiliating, but do you know the best part? At the end of the day, I get to spend some time with Chika," Yosetsu beamed. "This is the longest I have been with her. It's been a week, and I still have a few more days at Numazu. I get to do things I have never done before. I get to walk on the beach with her every day. I get to write music with her. I get to see her practice songs for her performance. I get to have dinner with her and her family. I don't know what Kan-sensei was thinking when he gave me this punishment. It doesn't feel like punishment at all. It gives me absolute joy doing it."

"Kan-sensei is wise, Awase," Momo offered an explanation. "Maybe he didn't mean to punish you after all you did for Chika and the city of Numazu."

"Well, you're right," Yosetsu sighed. "You know what sucks? Having to return to UA when detention is over. I feel like I want to stay here forever."

"Hey, you're lucky yours is 2 hours away. Mine is at Okinawa, half a day worth of trip."

"Why don't you ask her to spend some time at Takami's _ryokan_? Chika's father made me the 'floor manager' during weekend. I can't authorize any discount, but I can guarantee the best room, with ocean view, newest _tatami_ , and the use of the best spa unit. It is in high demand during weekend, but I can reserve it for you."

"Floor Manager! Damn, Awase, how did you get that deal?" Hiryu blabbered.

"Nepotism," Yosetsu jested, eliciting giggles from everybody at UA. "But seriously, this is just a temporary job with no pay while I'm here. It still counts as 'punishment'. But we can take advantage of it. Come on, let's celebrate! Come to Numazu! I'll guarantee the best service for you."

Izuku and Ochaco looked at each other. "Alright, we're in!"

"Nice offer, Awase. I will see if Pyrrha wants to come," Momo said.

"We would but we can't. I'm behind on Japanese Literature," Hiryu stated. "I have to finish an essay on _Go Rin No Sho_ before winter break, or Cementoss will kill me. Akiho-chan will help me during weekend."

"Sorry, Awase, maybe next time," Akiho added.

"Alright then, 2 rooms for 4," Yosetsu beamed. "I look forward to meet you all!"

* * *

 _ **Tochiman Ryokan,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 22**_

As Yosetsu said, the _ryokan_ was full of guests. They occupied available _onsens_ , one with the ocean view being the most popular, from early in the morning until the time they close for maintenance. The spa unit was also in heavy rotation, but Yosetsu was careful enough to close the best unit when 'guests' from Musutafu are scheduled to use it.

Izuku and Ochaco arrived first. Izuku wore a monochrome swim trunk while Ochaco wore a colorful two-piece swimsuit that complemented Izuku's trunk. Momo and Pyrrha came later, wearing a really deep red Deep-V that generously showcased their lush upper bodies. Then Yosetsu came carrying a mountain of towels, followed by Chika with bottled water, wearing a one-piece orange swimsuit.

"Welcome to Tochiman Ryokan," Yosetsu said in a faux Kyoto dialect. "Here satisfaction is our way of life, and we give better service than Awashima Hotel across the bay…"

"Shut up, man!" Izuku threw his sandal at Yosetsu, causing the pile of towels to tumble.

"Hey, be nice! He's working!" Ochaco slapped Izuku's arm.

"Awashima Hotel is managed by the family of Mari Ohara, another member of Aqours," Chika giggled. "It's a high-end 5-star international hotel. Yosetsu-chan is just goofing around."

"It may be an upper class hotel but Tochiman Ryokan offers more traditional, intimate service," Yosetsu said, still with his fake accent.

"Shut up!" Chika pushed Yosetsu's head. "I'm so glad everybody can come and spend some time here."

"This is a really nice place, Chika," Pyrrha said. "I was skeptical at first but I'm pleasantly surprised."

"We have owned this _ryokan_ since the 3rd generation," Chika replied, her face blossomed in red. "It's a family treasure. Daddy worked hard to keep this _ryokan_ alive. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call my bellboy," she tapped Yosetsu's arm.

"Oh, sure, I'm the bellboy, since I work here without pay," Yosetsu returned to his normal dialect. "I also polish the _tatami_ and scrubbed the toilet…"

"If you don't stop talking I'll complain to your supervisor," Momo joined in. She turned to Chika. "Is it you or your father?"

"That would be Daddy, but I can relay your message to him," Chika said with soft mirth. "Come on, Yosetsu-chan, just get in."

"Alright," Yosetsu strip his t-shirt, leaving only a blue swim trunk. "Dip in guys! Live like celebrities for a day." He glanced at the clock. "Actually two hours, then I have to close this spa. But hell, live like celebrities!"

The six friends got into the spa, moaning in delight as the bubbly warm water pampered their skin. Izuku sat on the ledge, letting Ochaco lean on his legs. Chika did the same thing; she sat on the ledge so Yosetsu could get in and rest his head on her thighs. Momo and Pyrrha went chest deep.

"Gosh, this is nice," Ochaco sighed happily as Izuku massaged her tired shoulder. "A little to the right, Deku-honey… yes, that's… oh yes…"

"You need to overturn more buses, Yosetsu," Pyrrha added jokingly. "Or derail a train next time. Pretend you're fighting an invisible villain, then inadvertently knock out the machinist."

"There are only so many times you could pull that off," Izuku said. "People are getting tired of reckless heroes that fight villains in the name of justice, but in reality cause destruction just as much as the villains themselves. That's why we go to UA: to learn how to use our power responsibly."

"Radical groups like the _Himawari Blues_ grow because quirkless people are getting sick of us using our quirks carelessly," Momo added.

" _Himawari Blues_?" Chika curved her brows.

"It's a radical hate group which consists of quirkless people that hate quirk," Ochaco explained. "They have been spreading propaganda that we, people with quirk, are the cancer of society. They are proposing new laws to the government to limit the role of people with quirk in the society, and limit their responsibility."

"I can't blame the background, given the way we treat quirkless people," Izuku said. "I mean, look at Bakugo. He calls them 'sheep' because they are weak and are not up to his standard. But the execution is wrong. No movement with 'hate' as the basis will bear fruit."

"The government is made up by people with quirks too," Yosetsu interjected. "They're not going to abide with _Himawari Blues_ ridiculous demand. Especially when the basis is 'hate'."

"Quirk has been part of human lives since the Luminescent Baby was born, to the point that we can't live without quirk anymore," Pyrrha said. "There will always be quirk-based violence, just as there will always be cybercrime. Nobody hates internet because of cybercrime, right? Why hate quirk? I don't understand."

"I think the real basis behind it is 'envy'," Momo added. "Some quirkless guys are jealous of all the attention received by pro heroes like All Might or Endeavor. So they create false pretense that quirk is dangerous, and people with quirk tend to misuse their quirks without responsibility. In fact, irresponsible quirk users are the minorities among people with quirk. But _Himawari Blues_ intentionally omits that fact."

"Can we say 'terrorism'?" Pyrrha turned her head around to see Momo.

"Well, they haven't gone that far yet," Momo replied. "Up to this point they just post hate speeches about people with quirk, and rally quirkless people behind them, but no action had been made."

"I am quirkless, and I am fine with the way I am," Chika weighed in with her point of view. "I don't have superpower but I have other things that I am proud of. To hate someone just because we don't have what he has is not a characteristic of a mature individual. We just have to accept who we are and shine in our own way."

"I love you, Babe," Yosetsu kissed her hand.

"I wish everybody had a big heart like you, Chika," Ochaco noted.

"She just says that when Awase is around," Izuku threw another joke. "Who knows Chika is the founder of _Himawari Blues_ , along with the other Aqours."

"No, you guys!" Chika giggled sheepishly. Her face turned red like ripe tomatoes. "I love you guys! You are like brothers and sisters to me."

"Just don't hang out with Bakugo," Yosetsu grinned. "That one is a bad example of people with quirk."

They kept trading jokes when suddenly there were some loud banging and yelling coming from the door. Chika's father barged in dragging Minoru Mineta. "Awase, do you know this guy? He said he was a student of UA. He's been spying on you guys while giving himself a treat, if you know what I mean."

"Daddy!" Chika yelped and went into the pool to hide behind Yosetsu.

"Ow… God!" Ochaco covered her eyes.

"Ugh… gross!" Pyrrha buried her face in her palms. "Isn't that your stalker, Momo?"

"I wish he wasn't," Momo massaged her bridge. "I'm going to puke… I'm going to puke…"

"I am sorry, Takami-san, he is a student of UA but he is not invited," Yosetsu jumped out of the pool, followed by Izuku. "I'll take care of him." He grabbed Minoru's arm and dragged him to the utility room. "What the hell are you doing here?!" he lashed out at the little man. "How did you get this address?!"

"That is none of your business!" Minoru returned fire. "You're supposed to be on detention, Awase! You're not supposed to be in a spa with… with… look at that! Two Momo's! This is not fair!"

"Hey! I'm working here!" Yosetsu growled.

"This is a private party, Mineta," Izuku tuned in. "You're not invited. Just go home."

"Why am I not invited? Is this how you treat your friend? You can't tell me what to do!"

"Have you heard the name Officer Taro Harisu before?" Yosetsu tried to discourage Minoru. "He's a local cop who beat a villain with super-strength quirk, bare-handed! I know him personally; he would enjoy locking up a perv like you! If I still see you around here in the next 5 minutes, I will call Officer Harisu!"

"You bastard!" Minoru yanked his hand free of Yosetsu's grip. He started walking toward the exit, but turned around and went toward Yosetsu. "How much is the rate per night?"

"Go home, Mineta, before you hurt yourself," Izuku said sternly.

Minoru walked out with an audible snort.

"I don't know how you can deal with him on daily basis," Yosetsu said to Izuku.

"He's actually dependable on the field, despite his antics," Izuku chuckled. "Now let's go back to the ladies."

Yosetsu returned to the spa pool waving his hands. "Everything is alright. Sorry for the interruption."

"Who was that?" Chika groused from the middle of the pool. "Is he a customer? How did he get in?"

"Minoru Mineta, my classmate," Izuku returned to his place. "And no, he doesn't stay here."

"How did he find us?" Ochaco blurted.

"Apparently he followed one of us," Izuku mumbled. "But it's over. He's gone. Forget about him."

"We need to improve our security," Chika was still shaken by the interruption. "This incident can give Tochiman Ryokan a bad reputation. Lucky he was not spying on other customers. And Daddy needs to clean up his act too. He can't just use explicit language in front of customers. It's… it's… eww, gross!"

"I'll talk to your father," Yosetsu caressed Chika's hair. "Now let's go back to having fun, shall we?"

"Yeah, alright," Chika forced herself to smile, but she was still tensed.

"Come here, Chika, sit by me," Pyrrha said teasingly. "I know how to make you feel better."

"Hey, hey, hands to yourself!" Momo slapped Pyrrha's arm.

"Is that what you would rather me do?" Pyrrha winked at Momo.

"For now," Momo replied with a wink. "But you'll pay later!"

"Come on, ladies, the owner doesn't have to know your 'business'!" Yosetsu chimed.

"I'm a big girl, Yosetsu-chan! I know what's going on!" Chika started to relax. She turned to Pyrrha and Momo. "Here in Tochiman Ryokan, we guarantee your privacy. As long as you don't make other customers uncomfortable, you can do whatever you want."

"Because…" Yosetsu returned to his fake Kyoto accent, "… Tochiman Ryokan gives better service than Awashima Hotel…"

Chika buried her elbow in Yosetsu's midriff, eliciting raucous laughter from everybody.

And the laughter didn't stop until Yosetsu closed the spa, almost an hour later than the original closing time.

* * *

 **Translation:**

 _Go Rin No Sho:_ The Book of Five Rings, a martial art book by Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the greatest swordsman ever lived

 _tatami:_ Japanese traditional mattress

 _himawari_ : sunflower, a relative of _cosmos_ (a type of flower common in Japan). _Himawari Blues_ is a word play of _Blue Cosmos_ , a radical hate group in Gundam SEED, upon which the _Himawari Blues_ is based.


	43. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40: Jingle Bells**

 **Review Corner**

 **Ulquiorra9000:** Everybody can breathe easy… for now :)

* * *

 _ **Uranohoshi Girl High School,  
**_ _ **Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 23**_

The last day of school before winter break. Exams were over a week ago, and the students spent the remaining days to decorate the building. Lanterns, bells, mistletoes, hollies, candy canes, lights, wreaths, everything blended together in an extravagant display of holiday spirit. Of course, a few students couldn't wait to get a nice warm weather at the beach and took off immediately after exam, but the majority of them stayed at school for the celebration, and the premiere of Aqours new Christmas song.

Yosetsu started his day very early at the _ryokan_ so he could finish the last hours of his detention early, while Chika prepared for Aqours performance. He arrived at Uranohoshi around 6, just in time when the party started. He occupied himself with the decorations and food and music, but it didn't take long until he got restless. Various musical performance put him in holiday mood, but they were no Aqours.

Luckily Taro Harisu was around.

"Awase-san, you have completed your tasks," Taro said, always up to his job even in a party like this. "Takami-san has submitted his report on your performance. I will write my last report to Sekijiro Kan tomorrow giving you a very high recommendation."

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve," Yosetsu muttered.

"Justice never takes a break," Taro smiled proudly. "Actually tomorrow is the busiest time of the season. I work the hardest on Christmas Eve. I will take a few days off after Christmas, then work hard again on New Year's Eve. Such is the life of a policeman."

"You surely take your job seriously."

"I do. As much as you do yours." Taro observed a high school vocal group clumsily sang holiday music off tune, then looked at Yosetsu in the earnest. "Chika-san told You-chan how much you took pride in helping other people."

"Yeah, I do," Yosetsu nodded.

"You know, if you consider Numazu as your place of service, I can recommend you to a few places that would benefit from your skill. It may not be as glorious as pro-hero offices in big cities. You don't have a chance to be a ranking pro hero in the nation if you work here. But, Numazu does need a pro hero, and if job satisfaction is your concern, Numazu will not disappoint. I can write some letters to UA."

Yosetsu laughed heartily. He understood what Taro was implying. "I love Numazu. I don't even want to go back to Musutafu. I want to stay here for a long time, if not forever. But, you heard Kan-sensei. I am not ready. I have my license, but I still need to complete my training at UA. If I stay now, I will just make a mess. Just like I did a few days ago." He cleared his throat before continuing, "In 3 years, I will seriously consider your offer, providing it is still available. We'll see what happens."

"I understand," Taro nodded. "Well, I'll be here. If you need anything, call me."

"Thank you, for everything," Yosetsu bowed slightly. "Hopefully we meet again in better circumstances."

"We will, I'm sure," Taro grinned. "If you're still in town for the next few days, You-chan and I want to take you and Chika-san on a double date."

"I'd love that," Yosetsu chuckled. "But I have to take a rain check. Chika and I will go to Musutafu tomorrow. UA has its own Christmas party. Then after that I have to make up classes that I missed during my detention. So I will have to work all winter break. Chika will stay with me and help me for a few days, then she will return to Numazu before New Year to prepare for the Love Live School Idol Festival in March."

Just then the principal of Uranohoshi came to the podium. "I hope everybody is having fun," she said. "Thank you for your hard work; it has been a wonderful year for our school. Enjoy your break. We will end this celebration, and this year, with the brightest firework we have. Uranohoshi has been blessed by these hard-working students that put its name all across the country. So join me to welcome Uranohoshi's school idol group, Aqours, with their newest single… _Jingle Bells Ga Tomaranai!_ "

The audience exploded into cheers as the 9 girls took the stage. They wore their usual idol outfit, vibrant lolita dresses with very short skirts and thigh-high socks, topped with bright red shawls with white frills. The catchy song started playing through the speakers, and Riko and You took turns leading the song:

 _Daijina toki wa itsumo issho ni sugoshitai kara_ _  
_ _Yakusoku dayo akete oite yotte_ _  
_ _Yuuki dashite koe kakechae_ _  
_ _Ima aitai hito wa dare dai? Issho ni sugoshitai nara_ _  
_ _Sasoi ni ikou tanoshiku odorou tte_ _  
_ _Fuzake nagara dakitsuichae_ _  
_I wish Merry merry Christmas… _wao!_ _  
_ _Saa minna no yotei kimechaitai yoru sa_ _  
_Jingle Bell _tomannai_

Near the end of the song bubble machines started blowing, filling the auditorium with bubbles, driving the audience absolutely nuts. The song ended and Aqours closed the party with a big, hearty Merry Christmas. Then the students dismissed themselves. Chika and You walked hand in hand toward their respective partners.

"Merry Christmas!" Chika threw herself at Yosetsu. "How do you like that?"

"You look fantastic!" Yosetsu squeezed her slender frame as tightly as he could, then gave her a big, wet kiss. "Merry Christmas to you too!"

"Will I get *that* again tomorrow?" Chika teased him.

"Absolutely," Yosetsu replied. "An incentive for you to come to UA Christmas party."

"So I will not see you for a few days," You pouted. "I'm gonna miss you."

"I will miss you too," Chika held You's hand. "But I will be back before New Year. So have a wonderful Christmas with your family and Harisu-san!"

"Ha ha, I will!" You leaned on Taro. "Safe trip, guys!"

" _Ja ne_ , Awase san, Takami san!" Taro gave them a big sendoff. "You're coming to Love Live Festival, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah, I won't miss it!" Yosetsu gave an enthusiastic glare at Chika. "I won't miss it for anything."

" _Yousoro!_ See you at Love Live Festival, if not sooner," You smiled broadly.

"See you guys!" Yosetsu waved at Taro and You, then took Chika's hand as they walked outside the auditorium. "These past few weeks had been a blessing for me. I'm going to miss Numazu."

"Then visit me often," Chika giggled. "Daddy loves having you around."

"Is that right?" Yosetsu wrapped his arms around Chika. "You know, Harisu-san said he would make arrangements if I decided to stick around."

"Really?" Chika leaned on Yosetsu's shoulder. "What did you say?"

"I said I would consider it in 3 years."

"I see." Chika looked at the stars up above. "Then what do you think you will say in 3 years?"

"Depends," Yosetsu stole a glance at her. He could see the reflection of the stars on her big, round eyes. "Will you still be here in 3 years?"

"Maybe. Probably. Possibly. It's too early to tell."

"Then let's wait a year or two. See where our lives lead us."

Chika smiled and wrapped her arms around Yosetsu's. Together they walked out of the school property under the stars, in the cold night of Numazu. The last bus to the _ryokan_ had long gone, but they were in no hurry to go home.

.

 **Author's Note** : This is the last chapter for Aishiteru Banzai, but there's the epilogue with more information about Yosetsu's next adventure. So don't leave your seat yet.

* * *

 **Translation : **

_Jingle Bells Ga Tomaranai:_ Can't Stop The Jingle Bells. I'm not translating the lyrics.

 _Yousoro_ : Aye Aye! You Watanabe is the daughter of a ship captain, so she speaks like a sailor (minus the cursing).


	44. Ending

**Epilogue**

 _ **UA High School,  
**_ _ **Musutafu, Tokyo Prefecture,  
**_ _ **December 24**_

Yosetsu and Chika walked into the auditorium hand in hand, and were greeted by a wild party. While Uranohoshi's party was more in the line of traditional Japanese winter celebration, UA's felt more like a spring break. But how could it not? With Neito Monoma and Mirio Togata as DJ's, and Katsuki Bakugo and Fumikage Tokoyami manning the food stand, it was bound to be a madhouse from the start.

"Let's get this PAR-TAY started!" Neito Monoma roared as he saw Chika walking in, interrupting Mirio's music. "We have a celebrity in the house, Folks! Courtesy of Class 1-B!"

"What? Courtesy?" Kyoka Jiro blurted grudgingly. "Since when Aqours becomes Class B's proprietary commodity?" A few other students started to voice displeasure toward Neito's constant nagging.

"Monoma, she is my guest!" Yosetsu yelled. "Don't use her for your imaginary competition!"

"Ah, Awase, you should be proud that we Class 1-B have network with the entertainment world," Neito kept blabbering on speaker. "Class 1-B is the proud patron of Aqours, one of the best school idol groups in Japan! The closest Class 1-A has been to show business is the shampoo commercial during their internship…"

"Hey! Kendo is in it too, dammit!" Denki Kaminari yelled from the back.

"Stop it, Monoma! This is not funny anymore!" Reiko Yanagi added.

"Ah, why stop the truth? We Class 1-B may not win the Joint Training but we have more diverse enterprwewe hweweweweh…" Neito's speech suddenly turned into gibberish as he swayed back and forth. Mirio Togata caught him as he started to tumble. He gently set Neito on the floor as Itsuka Kendo popped up on the stage. She took the mic from Neito's hand.

"Sorry…" she said. "Don't mind him. Let's continue our party."

"How about some holiday songs to put everybody in the mood?" Mirio took over. "Here's _Snow Halation_ by Muse!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Yosetsu said to Chika. "I had no idea Monoma was the MC. We should've taken the side door."

"That's alright," Chika giggled and rubbed Yosetsu's arm to ease the tension. "He didn't bother me. If anything, I am entertained by his antics. Forget about it. Let's get something to drink."

As the song _Snow Halation_ played, Yosetsu and Chika went to the food stand where Fumikage were serving soft drinks to Hiryu Rin, Akiho Suzuki, Sen Kaibara, and Kosei Tsuburaba.

"Welcome back, Awase, just in time for the celebration," Fumikage smiled. He turned to Chika. "What do you want for a start, my fair lady?"

"Orange juice will be fine," Chika smiled broadly.

"I'll have water with lemon," Yosetsu stated.

"One orange juice and one water with lemon," Fumikage handed in the glasses.

"So Awase, having fun at Numazu?" Kosei teased him as the couple joined the small crowd.

"It was a detention, Tsuburaba," Yosetsu replied halfheartedly. "How much fun a detention can get?"

"Ah, hiding something, I see. Mineta has been blabbering about you going to a spa with Yaomomo and her *smoking* hot red-headed friend…" Kosei threw a playful look at Chika. "Sorry, am I not supposed to say it in front of your girlfriend?"

"She was there, Tsuburaba. We did it at her house," Yosetsu rolled his eyes.

"Pfft…" Kosei puckered his lips.

"Chika-chan, I don't think you met Kosei Tsuburaba," Yosetsu said.

"Yeah, I remembered the name. You went to Tokyo with him in the summer, the day we met…"

"We were thinking of doing a summer job at the concert, but Tsuburaba had another plan. Who was that you were trying to impress, Tsuburaba? Tachibana or something?"

"Hijirikawa, you smartass!" Kosei snorted. "Can we talk about something else, now?"

"Oh, so he was trying to get Plasmagica, but you got Aqours instead?" Hiryu started to laugh uproariously, while Sen Kaibara just smiled. "Oh my goodness, this is classic!"

"Is that why he went missing?" Chika started to laugh herself.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, fuzzballs," Kosei sneered. "You know, that part of me has long gone. I'm a new man with a new vision now. I am focused, like a laser beam."

"Sure, Tsuburaba, we're here for you," Yosetsu snickered. He turned to Chika. "You remember Sen Kaibara? He is Tsuburaba's best friend."

"Yeah, I remember at the Cultural Festival," Chika nodded politely. " _Hajimemashite!_ "

" _Hajimemashite_ ," Sen replied just as respectfully. "How long are you staying at Musutafu?"

"A few days. Yosetsu-chan has a lot of classes to make up. I'm going to stay here until this 'bad boy' is ready for the next semester, then I will return to Numazu."

"And this is Hiryu Rin, and Akiho Suzuki," Yosetsu turned to the other couple. "Rin is my counterpart. We are so different in every way, but we complement each other. So yeah, this is my circle of friends. Rin, Tsuburaba, Kaibara, and me."

"I've met Rin-san, I've never met Suzuki-san before," Chika grabbed Akiho's hand. "Hi, nice to met you!"

"Takami-san, I so love your music!" Akiho replied enthusiastically. "Oh my gosh… _Daisuki Dattara Daijōbu, Yume de Yozora o Terashitai, Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare, Mirai Ticket_ … I can listen to them all day!"

"I'm glad you like our songs," Chika blushed. "We are going to Love Live Festival in March. I hope you can come. There are going to be a lot of great school idol groups and songs. You know, Saint Snow will be there too. They are great. In fact, they invited us to their winter concert at Hakodate next month."

"Speaking of Hakodate," Kosei interjected, "I spoke to Hound Dog today, and he said he was looking for students who were interested in competing in the Oshima Invitational in January. A few pro hero schools had signed up, so he thought this was a good venue to hone our skills in cold climate. I was just thinking, maybe I could moonlight as a security guard for Saint Snow concert. You know, sharpen my skill and get paid."

"I thought you said you were not doing that anymore?" Yosetsu chimed.

"Laser beam… laser beam… I am Laser Beam man," Hiryu added, drawing light snickers from everybody.

"Alright, alright, you can laugh at me, but when I return stronger and faster and richer than you all, I get to laugh at you!"

"I know Saint Snow really well," Chika tuned in. "I can hook you up with Sarah and Leah if you're interested. They're really nice."

"Well…" Kosei scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I kinda want to… ask… Asui to go with me."

"Whoa whoa whoa… you and Tsuyu Asui?" Yosetsu choked on his drink. "Why don't I know about this?"

"Are you going out with Asui?" Hiryu intentionally yelled, turning a few heads.

"Shh! I'm not going out with Asui, dammit!" Kosei panicked. "I just thought she is… uhm, adorable."

"He's been talking about Asui nonstop since they went head to head in the Joint Training," Sen explained.

"So you want to go with Asui to Hakodate without us? What happens to 'Bro Before Ho'?" Yosetsu muttered.

"Hey! What is wrong with you?" Chika slapped Yosetsu's arm.

"That's what he said to me when I first met you," Yosetsu gave Chika a dumb look.

"I don't mean to dump you guys, but this is a good chance for me to go out with Asui," Kosei said. "One of the schools that participate in Oshima Invitational is Isamu Academy, where her BFF Habuko Mongoose goes. If Mongoose goes to Hakodate, most likely Asui will follow."

"Hakodate is freezing cold this time of year," Sen said stoically. "Asui wouldn't want to go there."

"What's wrong with asking?" Kosei grimaced, clearly annoyed by Sen's comment. "You're supposed to be supportive for your friend!"

"I'm being reasonable."

"You're being an ass."

"Look, how many students is Hound Dog looking for?" Hiryu offered a middle ground. "If there are enough spots, we all can go. I'll go if there is a spot left."

"Hey, I want to go!" Yosetsu said. "Chika will be there anyway."

"How about you, Sweetie?" Hiryu squeezed Akiho. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Nah, I'm not a fan of Saint Snow," Akiho shook her head.

"Oh, come on, you get to watch Saint Snow with Aqours. How much better can it get?"

"Well… alright, I'll go if you go."

"What about you, Kaibara?" Yosetsu asked. "Are you interested in the invitational?"

Sen replied with his trademark shrug. "If there's a spot then why not."

"Do you need 'something' to warm your bed?" Chika quipped. "I can hook you up with Sarah or Leah."

"No, thank you, I'm not into girls," Sen flashed a small smile. "I'm actually thinking of asking that dude in the photography club…"

"What dude?" Kosei exclaimed. "You never told me about any dude. You're hiding something from me, Kaibara?"

"I hide nothing from anybody," Sen huffed agitatedly. "I've been talking to you about him for a while. You're just too preoccupied with Asui to listen to me."

"That's because I don't know you like him!" Kosei barked.

"You would know if you paid attention," Sen retorted.

"I've missed school for 2 weeks and suddenly everybody's hooking up with somebody else," Yosetsu's scratched his head.

"So you don't know about Tokage and Bakugo?" Hiryu said, half whispering.

"Tokage… What?! Bakugo? That is impossible!"

"Oh yeah, it is possible. And Kodai. And Kendo too. Although Kodai spent a lot of time with Kendo, so we kind of guess that Kodai and Kendo are together…"

"Holy shit…" Yosetsu scoffed. "All these happen in two weeks?"

"So what's the plan, guys?" Kosei interjected. "We all apply for Oshima Invitational, and whoever gets accepted will go with his respective partner to compete in the tournament and watch Saint Snow concert, assuming Asui and Kaibara's photography dude are willing to go?"

"Sounds like a plan," Hiryu said.

"I'm in," Yosetsu followed suit.

"I'm going," Sen appended.

"Hakodate it is!" Kosei said enthusiastically. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship… friendship, I mean friendship."

"Alright, Loverboy, we know where your true loyalty lies," Hiryu said, trading smiles with Yosetsu. "But you are our friend. We will support you no matter what."

Just then the music stopped, and Mirio Togata announced, "Does everybody get into holiday spirit yet? Let's change the tone a little bit. Here's to all of you lovers… _Aishiteru Banzai_ by Maki Nishikino."

"Hey! This is _our_ song!" Chika lit up as the voice of Muse's best canary reverberated throughout the auditorium. "Last time we didn't have a chance to dance. Now we have to. Come on! Get on the floor!" She hastily put her glass down and dragged Yosetsu to the dance floor.

"Wait wait wait…" Yosetsu tried to slow her down but it was futile. Not even an earthquake or a hurricane could prevent it from happening. Next time he knew, he was in the middle of the dance floor, holding hands with this amazing girl while swaying to the music.

"Hmm…" Chika purred on Yosetsu's chest. "All my life I've been waiting for this. I wonder what it feels like."

"Dancing?" Yosetsu asked blankly. He regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth, but he couldn't take it back.

"No. Dancing with the man I love."

"And?"

"I feel like I can do this forever."

Yosetsu restrained himself from making another comment, and let Chika have her moment. He wrapped his hands around her and enjoyed her fragrance, which - not surprisingly - smelled like fresh tangerine.

"Did you dream about this, Yosetsu-chan?" Chika murmured. "Doing something with the girl you love?"

"I can write a self-help book about it," Yosetsu jested. "With lots of 'pictures'."

"No, pervert! Seriously!" Chika slapped Yosetsu's back. "One thing you've been dreaming of since you are a little boy. Or teenager. Or whenever you start thinking about building a relationship with somebody. A thing that makes your heart beating with hope, joy, excitement. Do you ever think about that? Or do you just wait for whatever happens?"

Yosetsu didn't know if he could answer that question without the obvious teenage-boy testosterone-filled imagination, but there was one thing he always missed when they were apart. He pulled her hair back gently, coaxing her bright purple eyes to meet his.

"This."

He mashed his lips on hers, firmly, while the song ramped up to its rousing end.

 _Tokidoki ame ga furun da kaze de miki ga yureru  
Issho ni ikun da minna no yume no ki yo sodate_

 _Saa!  
Daisuki da banzai!  
Makenai yuuki watashitachi wa ima o tanoshimou  
Daisuki da banzai!  
Ganbareru kara kinou ni te o futte hora mae muite_

 _La la la la la la la la la la…_

 **THE END**

 **FOR NOW**

* * *

 **Author's Last Note**

This is it, guys. What a great journey writing this fanfic. Thank you all for reading, thank you more for those who take the time to write comments and reviews, to let me know that you are here with me. I truly appreciate comments, more so constructive criticism.

It's been a great experience to write Yosetsu and Chika together. I genuinely love these two. I really like Yosetsu Awase. He's a great underrated character who needs to get more highlight in the mainstream story. And even though Maki Nishikino is my pick for the best singer in all Love Live franchises, I like Chika's personality more. She is not the best singer, not the best dancer, and by far not the best looking girl, but she has the best personality among the other girls. I am big on personality. I put personality in front of talent, beauty, or sheer awesomeness. Personality wise, I think these two are among the best in their respective franchise.

Most of other pairings are "borrowed" from **Ulqiuorra9000** 's fanfics, and I like odd couples like these more than overused fanmade ships (*cough*Kacchaco*cough*).

So I will disappear from this site for a while to build the next installment of Yosetsu's adventure. If you're a fan of Yosetsu Awase like me, come back and look for me in about 1 or 2 months. I should be ready for the new story. Unfortunately I will not continue with Love Live Sunshine, although Chika will make cameo here and there.

Until then, keep reading and Plus Ultra.


End file.
